


game changer

by cosmicrenjun



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: A lot of the use of the word ass in multiple variations, Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Flashbacks, Fluff, Humor, Libero!Donghyuck, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Mark is part of 00 line here, Middle blocker!Jisung, Noren, Outside hitter!Jeno, Setter!Renjun, Swearing, Time Skips, Volleyball, johnil, markhyuck, maybe chensung?, this is my first story so idk how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-05 17:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17329685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicrenjun/pseuds/cosmicrenjun
Summary: sometimes the person you really need is the one you did not think you would wantOr, Renjun has been the high school volleyball team’s setter for three years and takes his position very seriously. In senior year, the team recruits a new player, Jeno, an asshole who thinks being an outside hitter is much more important than being a setter.





	game changer

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first story posted on ao3 so please enjoy! ♡  
> also i forgot boys vball is in the second half of the school year so ignore that fact fjdgfd  
> 

The squeaking of sneakers echoes through the empty gym court, paired with a loud smack of a blue leather ball flying towards the ground. It bounces high from its impact on the wooden floor, right by the white end line on the other side.

"Those jump floats of yours are really gonna kill this year." Renjun's head snaps to the direction of the voice, it's Donghyuck. His hair is bright red now instead of the hazel brown that he graduated the last school year with. He didn't grow much either, which doesn't matter much as the libero.

"What's with the hair, you work as a police siren this summer?" Renjun teases, grabbing another volleyball. It's the last one left in the large cart, all the others scattered on the opposite end of the gym. Donghyuck scoffs at the joke, mumbling some snarky remark in response, before sprinting under the net to the middle back of the white-outlined court with his hands out in front.

With a smirk, Renjun slaps the blue and white ball down to the ground a couple times, a casual routine before serving. He holds the ball with his left hand, starting his jump serve from fifteen feet behind the end line. The ball rolls off of his fingers, spinning high in the air as Renjun cases it with his approach. The boy perfectly meets the ball's peak with his right hand and slams it down towards the latter. Donghyuck lunges to the left, where the ball is whirling towards and bumps it exactly to the setter's spot adjacent to the net.

"Nice dig," Renjun compliments, pulling the now empty cart towards the scattered balls.

"Thanks, but I was expecting one of your new float serves," Donghyuck responds and rolls off of the floor. He readjusts the black sleeve around his left elbow, it helps for sliding around without receiving floor burns in the process.

"Anticipate it then."

-☾-

With the summer just starting, it frightens Renjun that his last year in SM High School is going to come soon. This also means that it is his last year in the school's boys varsity volleyball team. Ever since primary school, Renjun has set his goal in attending SM high. Of course, because of the scholarly academic programs and excellent educational opportunities, but Renjun's real reason resided in the legendary volleyball team. A team of the strongest and most skilled players from around the country, all above the height of 180 cm and built hard as stone.

Renjun, on the other hand, has always been a rather small kid, not only in height but in frame as well. Growing up, he worked with trainers and peers but as everyone around him grew, he stayed below the heads of others. With this disadvantage in the volleyball realm, Renjun had to use a different approach. Instead of training for his physique to become big, he trained his mind to expand. With every team he's participated in, he studied the movement of the other players, both on his team and on the opposing team. He analyzed every detail needed for the sport, the placement of the volleyball, the pressure needed to spike a ball, the angle of the spike, the slope of the ball for a dig, the height of each pass, each set, and each hit.

With the 9 years he has been in volleyball, Renjun has played in almost every position. He started out on defense, just some position on the left or right back. There wasn't much to do since the libero was there to pick up each of the spiked balls. But Renjun used every second on the court as an opportunity to learn and improve his brain. With all of the information Renjun has gathered, he started defending the court more than the libero that he ended up replacing him. For the rest of his primary years, Renjun became the libero for the school, and he was damn good. He read and interpreted every angle of the spikes and serves to come his way. He reacted quicker than the ball, being there before the ball even comes close.

When middle school rolled around, Renjun tried out for the team as the libero but since the team wasn't as good, the coach placed Renjun as an outside hitter. Although Renjun was a small boy, he had the vertical of a player who was over 185 cm only being 173 cm. The rest of his team consisted of scrawnier boys who were all rather short. The level of the team resulted in losses of many local middle school games.

This was a setback for Renjun, a downgrade even, but the young boy did not give up on the team. He called in the team before and after practice hours, on days that they did not even have practices, to personally train the lesser members. Renjun's teamsmanship and leadership earned him the title of the team captain for his middle school. During school games, his leadership and guidance sparked the eyes of his teammates. Although team spirit wasn't enough to win games, the team walked out of a loss with a smile on their faces and encouraging words rather than defeat and ineptness.

When his first high school year rolled around, Renjun was extremely pleased to hear he had been accepted into the prestigious SM High School. Of course, getting into the volleyball team was not a challenge at all for the young boy. At that time, the team consisted of many upperclassmen and just two students within his age, Donghyuck, who was great at defense, and Mark who was basically a bench warmer that year. But it did not faze him since Mark was more interested in playing in the boys' varsity basketball team instead. The only reason he was on the volleyball team was because of Donghyuck, they are best friends that grew up together.

In Renjun's first year, he did not participate a lot, much to his displeasure, but he understood that he was only an underclassman and there were teammates who were in their last year and are playing their last year. Renjun got put in defense most of the time, usually the left side adjacent to the libero.

The libero was one of the best he had ever seen. Sicheng was his name, a junior at the time. Even though Sicheng was 178 cm (fairly tall for a libero), he was quick and flexible enough to dive and dig hard-swung balls. No one on the court moved as swiftly as Sicheng. Throughout that year, Sicheng treated Renjun as if he is his own brother, helping him in defensive drills. But even he could sense that defense was not a position the younger was interested in. Renjun truly wanted to be the setter.

The setter. The powerhouse of the team, the control tower. Without the setter and its continuous working mind, the team would fall apart. The setter of the SM team was none other than the senior, Kim Doyoung. Renjun has heard of him throughout his volleyball years, even before high school. He was the famed setter who everyone was fearful of. You never knew what he was thinking or planning through his vigilant eyes. Every move by him could not be predicted ahead of time and Doyoung used that to his advantage. He would set quicks, pipes, back sets, and even setter dumps when you would least expect it. Doyoung was always one step ahead of anyone and everyone.

Renjun admired Sicheng but the amount of admiration for Doyoung was over the top. Renjun respected Doyoung so much that he wanted to become him. But the older was closed off, giving Renjun the cold shoulder every time he would ask for mentorship.

That was until one game, Doyoung along with the middle, a sophomore named Lucas, went up to block the opponent's spike, but when the hitter landed, he did so over the line and landed on Doyoung's foot. Luckily, it did not break but it was sprained really bad, meaning Doyoung had to be taken out of the game and to the bench for first aid. The coach took in his options. Since on the bench were mostly hitters or defensive players, Renjun sought this opportunity and stood up to volunteer himself as the setter. Although the coach seemed hesitant, Renjun was substituted in. The last thing he heard from the bench area was Doyoung's explosive arguments of a freshman taking his place as the setter.

Over the substitution line between the 10-foot and the net was a whole new world. The atmosphere was even different from the bench area. Renjun was surrounded by muscular older players who all towered over him. Even with Renjun's rock-hard heart, he was still frightened and intimidated. This cost the team a few points with bad sets and illegal moves called by the referee.

The score was 23 - 18. It was not looking good for the SM High team. The coach called the last time out for the team. As Renjun shuffled to the benches, he was visibly trembling, his hands shaking as he grabbed his full water bottle.

"You!" Renjun heard a thunderous voice from behind him. It was Doyoung, stomping furiously towards him despite the sprained ankle. There was sudden fear in Renjun's eyes, real terror he never thought he would experience in this situation. Before Doyoung can meet face to face with Renjun, the team's captain and main outside hitter, Johnny, held him back and calmed him down on the bench. Sicheng appeared in front of Renjun, both his hands on the small boy's shivering shoulders.

"Renjun, take a deep breath. It's not your fault we lost those points, my bumps weren't as good this game," the older tried to comfort the younger. Renjun looked away from Sicheng's tender eyes and towards the two toned arms holding him up. They were covered in bruises, floor burns, and scrapes. Sicheng worked so hard in the game to earn these battle wounds. All while Renjun walked out like a failure, no scratches or marks decorating his fair skin.

"No... It's not your fault. I'm- I'm not supposed to be up there... I don't belong there. I can't play, I can't even set properly without the referee calling the move illegal," Renjun could feel the stinging of fresh tears threatening to peak through his waterline.  _How can Sicheng even say such a lie, he's doing absolutely amazing, diving for everything and sacrificing his body for the team._

"Look, you're on this team, aren't you? Which means you do belong here, and you are supposed to be out there. I know what you're capable of, the skills you have and the way your brain works. We really need that right now, kid. And I get it, it's scary out there, especially for a freshman playing such an important role on the court. But coach put you out there, he knows what you can do too, the whole team does. And so does Doyoung, even if he doesn't show it. He's just like that to newcomers, thinking they aren't trained enough or something. So, go out there and prove him wrong."

Renjun really admired Sicheng and he also admired Doyoung immensely. But during times like this, when Sicheng stepped up to be the older brother, Renjun's admiration for Sicheng overruled his admiration Doyoung. Of course, they were in completely different categories though. Renjun respected Sicheng for his generosity and guidance. On the other hand, Renjun's respect for Doyoung lay in his skills as a setter and the brain of the team.

As the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the timeout, the team broke with a quick team cheer. Renjun sent one last look to Sicheng, then one to Doyoung. Instead of the look of fear in Renjun's eyes, it had been replaced with the look of determination.  _I will prove myself to you, Kim Doyoung._

-☾-

Everyone gathers around, facing towards the net where the coach, Johnny, is standing. There must have been at least 20 people attending the summer conditioning session. Johnny, a previous captain of the SM volleyball team about 4 or so years ago, is the team's new coach after the previous one retired last year. It is not surprising to have Johnny step up as the new coach. During his high school year, Johnny was the star player of SM High, the MVP, he even received a special frame of his jersey hung on the wall of the school's gymnasium. Johnny is a natural born leader, transferring from the captain of the team to the coach. His role might have changed but his mentality is still the same, to help and to teach.

"Welcome back, everyone. I'm glad to see you guys didn't wimp out for conditioning and training this summer like you did the last summer...," Coach Johnny announces with a petty smirk. Last summer, barely anyone showed up for summer conditioning, which pissed off the coach and Johnny (who was the assistant coach at that time). It resulted in a whole season of physical torture. Let's just say, their bodies turned into jelly after the season was over.

A collection of nervous chuckles sounds as Johnny laughs at the reaction, a hand on his stomach.

"Anyway, tryouts will be at the end of the summer, which means I will have to cut many of you off. There is still junior varsity so don't give up. We have a lot of new faces here and I'm glad, but this team can only consist of determined and strong players so I hope you can all show  _and_  give me your best this summer."

"Yes, Coach," the group shouts with enthusiasm.

Johnny breaks the group into a simple first drill, the butterfly drill, where the objective is to work on bumping the ball to a target from the tosser on the opposite side of the court.

"Renjun, I want to talk to you," the coach calls to the boy.

"Yes, Coach?"

"There is a new player that I want you to keep an eye on. He isn't going to be here this summer for conditioning, which already puts him on my bad list, but I've heard he's pretty good. An outside hitter. A position we need because Lucas has already graduated," the tall man explained. Lucas was last year's outside hitter, being the tallest on the team. He sometimes switched to middle blocker but with his tremendous strength, he made a great hitter.

"But I thought Mark was going to be the hitter this year?" Renjun questions. Mark is just as strong as Lucas (well maybe not  _that_  strong but he is pretty strong) and has a great vertical because of his years playing basketball.

"Mark's priority isn't in volleyball and I cannot accept that from an outside hitter. Since he is more interested in basketball, then I will place him in whenever I feel fit," Johnny explains, examining Mark who is currently bumping the ball towards the target.

"Okay, so what's the new guy's name?" Renjun continues to ask. He must be good since Johnny acknowledges he's good (Johnny was, after all, the outside hitter for all four years of high school).

"Lee Jeno, he's in the same grade as you. The kid just transferred from JYP High School."

JYP High School, the rival school. Their boys' volleyball team is just as powerful as SM High, and the two schools are always neck and neck with their games. Both teams have made it to nationals multiple times, and each time the fight for the win is never an easy journey. The points would rack up past 25, even reaching the 40's once. If this Jeno kid is from JYP High then he definitely has to be good, but why would he transfer from that school to their rival school? Before Renjun can ask any more questions, the coach is already on the court assisting the new players.

Renjun steps into line with a ball and proceeds with the drill.

-☾-

The last summer conditioning practice is today, and Renjun cannot believe how fast the summer flew by even with long days of hard training.

While waiting for practice to start in 15 minutes, the small boy begins his personalized setters stretches, which merely consists of stretching all the muscles in his hands and wrist, then moving on to his body. His mind wanders to the stretches Doyoung has taught him as a setter. It was not easy breaking through Doyoung's icy walls but eventually, he took Renjun in as a setter's apprentice.

It all started at that game where Doyoung strained his ankle due to the landing of the hitter. The buzzer signaled the end of the timeout and Renjun walked out of the group huddle and onto the large court with determination. He took his place by the net, hands wrapped into fists by his side and nails digging into his clammy palm.  _I will prove myself to you, Kim Doyoung._

Before the main referee on the high podium could blow the whistle, Renjun quickly analyzed his opponent, something he should have done right when he was first subbed in before the timeout, but the nerves clouded his logic then.

On the other side of the net stood 6 tall players, coated with sweat, and their shoulders rose up and down from heavy breathing. It made sense since they had been playing for two hours, their energy levels were probably low now.

In the front, standing by the net were three of their largest players, all hitters, as the setter of the other team was in the back row. To Renjun, this meant that there was a possibility that the team would double or even triple block the hits, which indicated that Renjun should rely on the element of surprise as an attack.

The whistle blew and the serve was already flying over the net, it was fast, a top-spin serve. These types of serves were ones that penetrate through the air with the lightning speed of the spin, they came so fast that sometimes one could not get to it in time unless you had predicted where the server would aim the ball beforehand. And luckily, Renjun had Sicheng on his side, who did, in fact, predict the serve as he was in the perfect position to bump the ball to Renjun. The pass was flawless, a bit high but Renjun guessed that it was Sicheng's way of helping him out a bit. The higher the pass, the more time Renjun had to figure out his next plan of action and get into position.

As Renjun predicted, the opponents had two blockers and one covering for the setter dump. So that was out of the question, which left two opened hitters: Johnny on the outside and Lucas in the middle. Renjun had never really played with the two hitters, especially in a game setting, so he did not know how to set them. Every hitter always has a preferred set, measured by the height, the position, the speed, and more.

Renjun's heart rate started to pick up, the growing panic ringing in his ears.  _Johnny or Lucas? Johnny or Lucas?_

Their names kept repeated in Renjun's head as the ball started to fall above him. Without making a decision, both of his hands connected with the leather ball, pushing it up and hopefully, his body knew what to do more than his brain at the moment.

But to no avail, the set was not directed towards either of the options, landing too far into the court for Johnny and too much to the left for Lucas. This was what happens when you do not have a plan of action before doing the said action. Renjun's knees felt weak, his shoulders slumping in defeat.  _What am I even doing... Doyoung's right, I can't be the setter_.

Renjun's eyes squeezed shut to stop the tears from flowing out, waiting for the whistle to sound and signal the match point.

But all Renjun heard was a loud slam of a ball against skin.

His eyes flew open, right in time to catch Johnny gliding on the ground before quickly pushing himself up. Renjun blinked over to the other side, where the ball was.  _How..._

It seemed like even though the set was way off, Johnny still ended up being able to hit it. With his quick reflexes, Renjun could not have expected less of him. Johnny sent the younger a quick glance, matched with a nod and a confident smile. With this short gesture, Renjun understood the captain's meaning. It was a boost of courage and strength, as if saying "I got your back."

With a nod back, Renjun shook it off and focused on his next move.

SM ended up winning that point and further gaining more at a slow pace. The score was neck and neck at 25 - 24, the other team leading. With each set in the past 5 or 6 points, Renjun became more confident in himself. Although his sets were not up to par with Doyoung's, they were just enough for the hitters to adjust to.

However, Renjun could not celebrate yet because if they lose this point, then they would lose the game. So, he channeled himself into the game. It was SM's turn to serve the volleyball, with Jaehyun on the line.

-☾-

Summer conditioning becomes a daily duty, waking up early to train for hours and then leaving right before sunset. It started out only lasting about 4 hours, just to settle everyone in (but basically also not to scare off the newcomers). After they have all learned the basics, then came 6 hour-long conditioning, starting with 2 hours of extreme workouts to prep our stamina and strength, then for the rest, they focus on volleyball drills specific to our weaknesses, defense, hitting, serving, diving, etc.

Thankfully, the summer is coming to an end, meaning no more long days of extensive training and sore muscles. There are just a couple more practices until tryouts start next week.

"See you all tomorrow, bright and early!" Johnny informs through the gym, his booming voice echoes and bounces off the walls.

Renjun plops down on the wooden floor with his short legs outstretched, leaning back on his red sweaty hands. He lets his breathing return to normal as he stares up at the fluorescent lights on the high ceiling. Donghyuck groans from his laying position next to him, spread out like a starfish. Jaemin tosses Renjun a water bottle as Renjun mumbles a 'thanks'. Tilting the almost empty bottle back, Renjun gulps down the cold water. Cold water after working out for four straight hours feels like the greatest luxury on this planet. His fingers slide on the condensation of the bottle before they regain their grip. When the bottle is drained, Renjun takes the ice between his molars and bite down, feeling it melt into cold pools on his palate.

Slipping off his volleyball shoes, Renjun hands the empty water bottle back to Jaemin, who is sitting on the floor, hunched over his knees on his arms. The whole team is trying to regain their consciousness, all drenched in sweat despite being housed in the air-conditioned gymnasium. As time passes, the gym clears out of players as they head home for the day.

"I can really use some ice cream right now to cool down," Donghyuck mentions as he rolls up into a sitting position.

"I'm up for ice cream," Renjun nods, grabbing his duffle bag and stuffing his shoes inside nonchalantly. He pulls out his worn-out tennis shoes to change into. He likes to keep his volleyball shoes as clean as possible so that the rubber grip is durable for intense games.

"Me too," Jaemin adds and slides his empty bottle back into the pocket of his backpack. The three looks at Mark waiting for his response.

"Sorry guys, I wanted to shoot some hoops later at the park," the oldest responds, swinging his bag over his shoulder. Donghyuck shoots up to his feet before knocking the back of Mark's head with his palm (not too hard but hard enough to cause the latter to stumble forward). The younger locks his arms around Marks with an innocent smile, "He's coming, too!"

Renjun and Jaemin exchanged looks but this is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to Donghyuck and Mark. They've known each other for almost all of their lives, basically growing up together and have been best friends ever since whether Mark likes it or not. Although Mark is the target of Donghyuck's attacks of love (as he calls it) despite the age difference, Mark enjoys being with Donghyuck and still finds him interesting even if they have been together forever.

Renjun glances at the two young boys standing around by the water fountain, one he recognizes as Chenle, a Chinese transfer student, and the other is Jisung, who's older brother Jaehyun used to play for the same team. "Why don't we invite the new players too! Ya know, to break the ice and make them feel welcomed?"

They all nod in agreement, volleyball is a team sport after all, therefore, teamwork and friendship are important factors to success. Renjun cups a hand around his mouth, "Hey! Chenle, Jisung!"

The two boys look slightly baffled as Renjun motions for them to come over. They shuffle over shyly, looking down at their feet.

"We were just gonna head out for ice cream, you two should come!" Renjun suggests with a friendly smile. After a moment of Chenle and Jisung trying to communicate through exchanging looks, they agree to tag along.

The six boys walk out of the gym and towards the city's plaza that houses little shops or all purposes. The sidewalk is too narrow for the group to walk together in a line so Renjun and Jaemin follow behind Mark and Donghyuck. Chenle and Jisung being the last pair behind the older members. The Donghyuck still has his arms linked with Mark's, blabbering on about all of the perfect digs he had during practice. Mark rarely says anything when Donghyuck rambles on like this, Renjun has noticed. The older just smiles at the other and laughs too much for what Donghyuck is actually saying (look, he's funny but not that funny).

"What do you think they're talking about?" Jaemin leans in to whisper in Renjun's ear, the height difference causes Jaemin to bend down a bit. The four of them have been friends all throughout the four years of high school and every time Donghyuck and Mark are together, it seems like they are both happier and more carefree, in their own little world. Donghyuck likes striking Mark with teases and Mark lets them slide every time but Renjun is not quite sure why.

With a chuckle, Renjun jokes, "Do you think they like each other?"

"Wait, you think so too?" Jaemin gasps, a hand on his shoulder. Renjun's eyes widen, his eyebrow arched up.

"What- I was kidding," Renjun puzzles, looking back at the two in front of him. Honestly, it does not seem so unrealistic the more Renjun observes the two. There always is that twinkle in Mark's eyes when Donghyuck shares thoughts about his day. And although Donghyuck loves to talk, he has never chattered on this much with anyone else. "Hmm, actually. I don't know."

"I think they do. I mean they are inseparable, and Mark always blushes when Donghyuck stares at him for more than 3 seconds," Jaemin hypothesizes and wraps an arm around Renjun's shoulders like he is trying to get the older to see what he's seeing in his own head.

"Well, Mark always flushes, he's just awkward," Renjun rolls his eyes, digging his hands in the pockets of his loose gym shorts.

"That's true but what can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic and I want to believe they are in love," the younger dramatically gushes and Renjun just has to return with a playful slap to bring him back to Earth.

It doesn't take long to reach the small but popular ice cream shop in town. Renjun is always seen hanging out in here either with the other three or without. It is just so aesthetically pleasing, and he loves to indulge in the smell of sweets just as much as he loves to devour them (he's got quite a sweet tooth).

The six of the boys stand in the small line, looking around to figure out what flavor they want. Renjun turns towards the youngest two, who have been quiet the whole walk.

"So why did you guys decide to join the volleyball team this year?" the captain starts off, directing the question more towards Chenle since he can already guess why Jisung is here (aka his brother).

However, Jisung talks first anyway, "My older brother, Jaehyun, used to play for this team. He was on the same team as Coach Johnny actually."

"Did he force you to join or did you want to join willingly?" Jaemin jokes with a cheeky grin.

The younger scratches the back of his neck, "Half and half?"

"Well, at least you're honest," Jaemin responds, "I like it!"

Renjun peers at the figure behind Jisung, "And what about you, Chenle?"

Jisung steps aside to reveal more of Chenle, who was hidden behind the towering Jisung (no, seriously how is he 2 years younger than Renjun but a head taller). Chenle rolls his eyes slightly, "Jisung forced me to join so he wouldn't be alone. I don't really...do sports."

"Why's that?" Jaemin questions before Renjun can.

"I don't know, it's just not my thing. I'd rather be spending this time reading or studying," Chenle lightly kicks at the ground in his regular workout shoes surrounded by branded volleyball shoes.

"That's alright, just as long as you're having fun," Renjun assures and continues onwards in line. He didn't even notice Mark and Donghyuck have already ordered and are sitting in the usual booth, still in their own world. Renjun goes ahead to order a cotton candy flavored cone, and following, Jaemin orders chocolate, while Jisung and Chenle order a cup of strawberry ice cream to share.

Renjun makes sure to grab a handful of napkins because ice cream can get messy (and he's a good leader) before turning to head over to the booth. He laughs to himself upon seeing the disordered group as Mark's whole ice cream scoop drops from the cone, getting all over his clothes, causing Donghyuck to groan looking for napkins. Jaemin tries to steal a bite of the strawberry ice cream from Chenle's hands. It is still surprising to see how outgoing and friendly Jaemin is, even towards new people. Renjun ends up hitting the side of Jaemin's head once more, earning just the slightest giggle from Chenle.  _Progress!_

Jaemin chases after Chenle with his spoon, laughter filling the already sweet atmosphere. That is until, Chenle accidentally crashes into someone else on the way to the booth. The ice cream flies out of the younger's hand and onto the floor, but that is not the worse part. The worst part is that the other person's milkshake spilled all over his top. Chenle's smile immediately fades, lips pouting, "O-oh, I'm sor-."

He doesn't get a chance to continue because the latter, a teenage boy, cuts him off, "Watch it, you fucking klutz."

Chenle tries to apologize again, voice faint and quavering, "I'm so sorr-."

"It's all over my damn jacket, are you trying to make a fool outta me, kid?" the guy barks again, eyebrows furrowed causing him to look extremely intimidating (not to mention how he physically shadowed him too). Chenle's eyes become glassy with tears as he stutters out apologies that are not audible any longer. The guy takes a step closer to the young boy, nudging his shoulder, "Speak up."

With the way the stranger is treating Chenle just makes Renjun's blood boil with anger, he stomps over from the napkins station across the shop towards the commotion. He carelessly shoves his ice cream in Jaemin's hand before stepping in between Chenle and the guy.

"Hey, take it easy man. It was an accident," Renjun speaks through gritted teeth. He did not realize how much taller the latter is from afar until he is now standing in front of him, having to lean his head back to look at his face properly.

The rude stranger scoffs before shoving Renjun away with one push of an arm and it pisses Renjun off even more. "Stay out of it, runt."

"What the hell is your problem?" Renjun scowls, eye turning dark with annoyance as whoever this guy is. He is getting on Renjun's nerves.

"Am I supposed to be scared of you?" he mocks, purposely leaning down with hands on his knees to be eye-leveled with Renjun.  _Oh, he did not just-_

That was the breaking point of Renjun's patience. Throughout his entire 18 years of life, he has always been made fun of for his height and he is tired of it (especially when people do the bending down to their knees thing). At that moment, Renjun is blinded by the rage built up inside, from him beating down Chenle, to him making fun of his height.

He reaches out and swings his fist into the guy's jaw. The impact causes the latter to stumble back, caught off guard by how strong Renjun is for his size. Renjun tries not to shake his right hand as it throbs with pain, probably stained with bruises and blood from the blow. But this is not the end of it, as the stranger recovers quickly and charges at Renjun. Just like that, a punch lands on Renjun's cheek, and another to his jaw on the opposite side. Renjun tackles the person to the ground, not even trying to block his attacks as he just swings punch for punch.

It is not until Jaemin and Mark pull Renjun off of the guy that he fully hears the owner shout at the group, "I demand everyone here to leave this instant and never to come back! You're all banned!"

Renjun can already feel the bruises forming on his face and body. The other boy 'tsks' before bumping shoulders with Renjun to stomp out of the ice cream shop. With a scowl on his face, Renjun tries to break free of his team's hold to go after the asshole once more.  _The disrespect..._

"He's not worth it, Jun. We have other things to worry about," Jaemin channels the older back into reality as Renjun's vision beelines towards Chenle. The younger is shaken, the color drained from his complexion and tears stain his face.

Renjun shrugs off Mark and Jaemin's hold to go take care Chenle. As the captain of the volleyball team, he is very ashamed of his actions. He is supposed to be a leader, an example to follow for the rest, and he just completely went wild on the jerk.

"I'm sorry Chenle, I didn't mean to scare you or cause a commotion," Renjun puts a comforting hand on top of Chenle's shoulder. "And it's okay, don't worry. I doubt we'll ever see him again."

-☾-

Renjun places the ball of his foot against the patted wall of the school's gymnasium, straightening his leg to stretch out his muscles. He feels his hamstrings stiffen from the stretch as he leans forward towards the wall and curses himself for not stretching after his workout yesterday. His leg returns to the ground as the other leg swings up for the same stretch. Renjun is much more flexible on this leg, that is, his right leg. He bends forward enough to touch the wall, something he cannot do with the other.

Before he knows it, his leg drops to the ground as he falls forward into the wall, lightly knocking his head on the blue padded wall. He falls on his butt, rubbing the top of his head with a string of curses. He then looks up to find a laughing Jaemin, hand on his stomach and all.

Grumbling, Renjun finally realized what had happened, Jaemin snuck up on Renjun and pushed his leg down which caused him to fall.  _That little-_

"Oh my gosh, I didn't think you would actually fall from that, you good?" Jaemin taunts between laughs.

Renjun's eyes roll around in response, "What was that for?"

With a hand reach out, Jaemin pulls Renjun up, "Just wanted to mess withcha."

"As always," Renjun mumbles under his breath, fixing his gym shorts.

Jaemin elbows Renjun with wiggling eyebrows, "I know you love me."

"Whatever, I need to fill up my water, be right back."

Renjun leaves the younger to grab his large water bottle and head for the hallways of SM High. The new school year is just about to begin after this weekend and Renjun is almost excited. No, not for the classes, teachers, and homework, but for the volleyball games. It has been too long since Renjun has played in a gym against another team (actually, it was just 6 or so months). Renjun misses the thrill of the games, the cheering, the squeaking of the sneakers, the whistle blows, the sound of the leather ball being smacked from person to person.

With his water bottle under the faucet, he begins to fill it up. Since the school year is starting soon and so do the games, tryouts for the team is today. Renjun, of course, is about 30 minutes early, to get his extra stretches in and to warm up with setting drills.

He is looking forward to tryouts, seeing what everyone brings to the team. He has been observing the newcomers all throughout summer conditioning, as the captain should. Of course, Jisung is going to be on the team. He is super tall with huge hands that are great for blocking. Donghyuck, Jaemin, and even Mark will also be accepted onto the team since they were players last year as well. Chenle, although he barely puts in the effort and seems disinterested in the sport, holds a lot of potential and Renjun can feel it, he knows the sport too well. Renjun may have a soft spot for Chenle, maybe due to the incident in the ice cream shop.

However, it is not just that. During one of the summer trainings, Chenle had set a beautiful set in a team practice game, even pulling an unexpected setter's dump onto Renjun's side of the court. As Renjun's foot stayed put and Chenle returned to the ground from the jump, he caught the look in Chenle's eye. It is the same look of Renjun's when he is planning something or doing his usual setter's mind control (there is no way to put it in words). Chenle's eyes held a glimmer of confidence, something the small kid seems to lack. But the look faded as he landed on his feet, returning his attention to the game.

It had caught Renjun off guard what Chenle could do, the process he has going on in his mind. Renjun knows the kid is smart, he is on top of all his classes in his freshman year, which aside from senior year, is the hardest in high school. So, he can just tell how much potential Chenle has to be Renjun's successor after he graduates next year.

And Renjun has made it his goal to train Chenle into the perfect setter.

With a light gasp, Renjun pulls his water bottle away from the fountain as it is overflowing with water now, running down his hands. He quickly shakes off the excess water and closes his water bottle to return to the gymnasium.

Renjun pushes the metal doors open as he checks the time on the wall, 3:45 PM, 15 more minutes before tryouts officially start.

It seems like more people are here earlier than usual, maybe to prepare and warm up since Coach Johnny will not go easy on evaluating everyone, even if he is the nicest person on Earth. On the sides of the court, Jisung and Chenle are peppering to each other, a term in volleyball that means a warmup drill that consists of bumping, setting, and hitting between the two players. As usual, Jisung clumsily passes and sets but his spikes are fast and hard. He must have practiced with Jaehyun a lot on his hitting. Chenle, on the other hand, is just as disinterested as always, letting Jisung's hits knock him in the arm with no aim or control. Renjun shakes his head slightly.

More teammates are peppering along the court, avoiding the net. And Renjun soon can see why.

On the court, just by the 10-foot line is a tall male, he is facing Renjun but with the net, he cannot see his face clearly. But even so, Renjun can tell he is a new member that he has never seen before. How? His hits.

The boy runs up to the ball being tossed by Coach Johnny, the steps in his approach quick and smooth. His long arms swing back just as he is about to jump, reaching up into a hitting position, left hand above while his right bends beside his face. As the ball meets his right hand, a loud hit echoes through the busy gym. The spike zips through the air like a bullet, smacking the floor just to the right of the opposite side.

"Nice job, Jeno!" Coach Johnny calls out, patting the boy on the back.

Renjun does not notice his mouth is ajar until it becomes dry with the lack of saliva. "That- that was the most beautiful hit...I have ever seen," he whispers to himself, still in a shocked state from the flawless spike. "I might be in love."

The ball rolls towards him as he snaps out of his amazed trance, a smile however still painted on his face. He uses his foot to propel it up, a trick he learned from his friend on the SM's boys' soccer team, Yangyang.

Renjun holds the ball in one hand and looks up to return it to the hitter, called Jeno, and the smile drops.

And so does the ball.

"You!"

Renjun's jaw clenches as he grinds his teeth together. His knuckles turn white from clenching his fists too hard. Renjun can feel the pent-up rage from the situation that had unfolded a week ago, it seethes under his skin. Along with anger, Renjun is also confused,  _Of all places..._  The mixture of emotions is not a good blend, his confusion acts as a fuel for the growing rage caged in his mind. "What are you doing here?"

The boy from the ice cream shop bounces the ball into his hand, "Who are you?"

His eyes are narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. He seemed unconcerned, an impassive look plastered on his sculpted face.

"I'm the one who gave you that bruise," the end of Renjun's lip pulls up in an arrogant smirk, eyeing the large blend of purple, blue, and yellow on the side of his jaw. "Maybe I need to give you another one to stir up your memory."

The latter tuts, expression staying the same, "Only if you want more of those."

Renjun fumes as he remembers that the boy had also left some damage on him, a bruise on both sides of his face.

It happens again, Renjun charges for Jeno, wrapping his hands around his neck. He cannot blame himself for his violent actions, he was just born like that. Anything that upsets Renjun, he takes it out with a punch, just as he is doing now.

However before both the boys can do any harm to each other, Johnny is pushing the two away from each other. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Renjun only then notices the whole team is now present and witnessing the physical conflict with shocked expressions,  _what a great first impression as the captain, you dumbass._

Trying to suppress any hatred he has locked in his voice, Renjun slightly bows to the coach and his team, "I apologize for this."

It was simple, but he did not mean it at all. Maybe towards the bad impression he has shown toward his future team but definitely not apologetic to wanting to beat the shit out of Jeno for being an asshole.

"Whatever this is, you two have to break it up and fix it. You both will be on the same team this year and I do not want any conflict to hinder the team, it is selfish and immature. And Renjun, you are the team captain, I expect more from you. Jeno, you are already on my bad list from missing all of the summer conditioning, do not make it worse," Coach Johnny barks, still holding onto the back of Renjun and Jeno's shirt like they are cats. Johnny's face twists in a way that can give anyone nightmares, his eyebrows furrowed together, lips in a tight line.

"Yes Coach," they both say in unison.

-☾-

"What the hell was that?" Renjun sneers, glaring at the latter.

Jeno lands on this feet from the hit, angrily huffing as the hit reaches beyond the end line, meaning the ball is out. "What do you mean, jackass? What kind of set was that?"

Renjun rolls his eyes, "A perfect one, why are you overrunning my set?"

"Overrunning? That set was way too slow, by the time I even lay a finger on it, I'm already in my graduation gown."

"Move, you are holding up the line, dumbass."

A disapproving "hey" comes from the opposite side of the court as Coach Johnny sends deadly glowers at the two boys. Jeno grunts annoyingly at the smaller and shags his ball.

As Jeno jogs away, a slight grin creeps up across Renjun's mouth. Obviously, Renjun set a bad set for Jeno on purpose, to mess him up and make him look bad. It is only the sweet taste of revenge that fills Renjun's mouth as he continues to set just slightly off for Jeno but not enough for anyone but him to notice. It really ticks Jeno off but it only fuels Renjun's want to torment the latter (i _t's what he deserves at least)._

"Do you even know how to set? I said lower ones," Jeno swings his hands up in frustration after the tenth time he has mishit the ball.

Renjun crosses his arms, a frown upon his face, "Maybe it's you that's the problem. Maybe you should evaluate the way you are approaching the set. I mean everyone else is hitting perfectly? So that must mean something."

"That's because you're out to get me!" Jeno shouts, his nails digging into his palm in anger.

"That's childish, I would never."

Tryouts go on with the same shenanigans, Renjun messing with Jeno on his sets, but also Jeno getting his revenge with targeted hits and serves. When the players were scrimmaging in a practice game, it seemed like Jeno specifically targeted all his spikes and serves towards Renjun, who is the setter so he could not get the second ball (he technically can but it is best for someone else to receive it so he could set the ball). However, with Jeno's quick and expert-level aim and hits, it was almost impossible for anyone else to react in time. Renjun ended up receiving many of the first balls which led to the loss of the point since no one else on his side could set.

"Everyone did really well today, and I am beyond impressed with the improvements you all have undergone this summer. The official line up will be posted on the gym news board on Monday or Tuesday. I am extremely proud and for those who will not make it, do not give up. Captain, any words?" Coach Johnny announces after the three long hours of (torment) tryouts.

Renjun steps towards the front to speak to his team, "As Coach has stated, everyone here has improved so much, and it was amazing working alongside every single one of you. I like the aggressiveness and teamwork you all showed, and I would be glad to be on a team with anyone here."

The last part comes out a bit sarcastic as his eyes met Jeno's, both scowling at each other with disgust.

"Thank you, Renjun. Everyone break and have a nice weekend before school starts."

Renjun leads the team cheer and the teammates start to exit the gym, chatting amongst each other upon tryouts.

Coach Johnny stops Renjun and Jeno before they can leave as well, "Alright, I'm no guidance counselor but I have to step in. I want an explanation."

Renjun whips his head towards the latter who is already looking at him with slight panic but mostly repugnance.

"Jeno was being an asshole to Chenle the other day so I stepped in," the older of the two explains and continues with a short summary of the ice cream incident since he does not want to be in the same room with Jeno for any longer.

Coach Johnny nods his head slowly, letting the information settle in, "I see. Well, Jeno please apologize to both Chenle  _and_  Renjun."

Renjun's smirk is back on his face, an eyebrow raised at the younger.

"And Renjun, you have to apologize too, for starting the fist fight. You could have gone through with a much less violent action like talking it out."

Renjun is back to scowling.

-☾-

"Oh my god, it was so embarrassing," Renjun's head rolls back, staring up at the clear autumn sky.

Donghyuck links an arm with the older, Mark beside him speaks first, "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

"I had to apologize to the jerk, even though I wasn't the one being an asshole!" Renjun kicks at a rock on the pavement, it rolls jagged before departing on the grass.

"I mean you did punch him first," Jaemin, who is walking backward in front of the three, points out.

Renjun mutters, "Who's side are you on, Nana?"

Jaemin abruptly stops from walking, arms open, which causes Renjun to walk straight into his chest, "Yours, of course."

Renjun is engulfed by Jaemin's arms, head buried into his shoulder. With the amount of strength the younger is holding Renjun by, he has to tap out like a wrestling match. Renjun pushes away to his freedom as Jaemin reluctantly let's go, mumbling a whatever and continues on his way home.

"But Jaemin is right though, Jun. I know he's an asshole, but you should just move on from this, it'll really hinder you from being a good captain," Mark butts in, an arm around Donghyuck's side.

"Don't you think I know that? But it's so hard...He has such a punchable face and an even more punchable attitude," Renjun's fists just tightens at the thought of Jeno.

Jaemin pops up to his side, a smooth comment flowing from his lips, "Just replace his face with mine."

"Then, I'll want to punch it even more."

-☾-

Renjun tries to take his coach's and friends' advice, he really does. But with every practice, his patience thins and his resentment grows. A quarter of the season has already passed but nothing has changed relating to their aversion with each other. Games are a lot harder to win without the connection and trust between the hitter and setter as well. It was so much easier last year with Lucas (they both spoke Chinese to confuse opponents and communicate during games).

Jeno just always has something to piss off Renjun, whether it'd be 'accidentally' hitting him with a volleyball, 'accidentally' tripping him, or 'accidentally' run into him trying to bump a ball. Then, the boy has the nerve to put the blame on Renjun, as if he is all mightier than the older.

Jeno just walks around with this irritating arrogance, like being the outside hitter is the most important position.

A stretched-out groan erupts from Renjun's mouth as he lazily tosses his pen onto his desk, it tumbles around along his biology notebook. He leans back on his chair, staring bitterly at the white ceiling of his bedroom, the memory of the most recent argument with Jeno fresh on his mind.

_[flashback: a couple days ago]_

"Okay, so Chenle you hold your hands like this... And push up, like also using your legs. And-," Renjun looks over at the younger, "Hey! Listen to me."

Chenle, who was just staring blankly at the gym wall, blinks back towards Renjun. He mumbles a slurred, "What?"

"I'm trying to train you to become a good setter and you're not even paying attention," Renjun frowns slightly, dropping the ball.

The latter shrugs and walks away without another word.

It is the sixth time Renjun has tried to mentor the younger into a perfectly trained setter throughout the first quarter of the season and it is the sixth time Chenle has ignored him or not paid attention to his lessons. Renjun should give up but he just knows Chenle has it in him to prosper. He just has to try.

Renjun's frown deepens as Jeno appears with his signature egotistical smirk.  _What now..._

"What, are you trying to force your position down people's throats now?" the taller remarks, slapping down a volleyball from his hands. It bounces against the floor with great force and Renjun curses him for being so experienced and strong. Although there is no more hate he can feel for Jeno, it would be even easier to hate him if he is complete crap at the sport. Maybe then, Jeno wouldn't even be in the team to annoy Renjun (what a dream that would be).

"Maybe if you weren't too busy bullying Chenle, you could see that he has a lot of potential as a setter," Renjun crosses his arms, an eyebrow raised.

The ball bouncing from Jeno's hand stops, it takes closure between his arm and waist. "First off, I apologized to Chenle, it was just- it was a bad day."

Renjun's eyes narrow at the shift of the latter's tone, "Whatever, just don't take it out on innocent people, asshole. And regarding Chenle, he has the brain power to be an excellent setter... something you might not understand."

"Like being a setter is so important," Jeno rolls his eyes.

"It is. Without a setter,  _you_  wouldn't be able to do  _your_  job to the best of  _your_  ability," Renjun's finger jabs at Jeno's chest. Not surprisingly, it is firm and muscular under his training t-shirt from some club team.

He swats away Renjun's poking finger, "Yeah right, great hitters don't need a perfect set to score points. So technically, I don't need you to win."

"I doubt you can win solely on those two brain cells of yours. Hitters need setters. Why do you think it's so easy to score a point, dumbass? It's because of  _my_  brain that strategically placed the ball at the perfect spot and angle for you."

Jeno's eyes narrow into an icy glare, shadowed by the furrow of his eyebrows.

"I don't care what you say, hitters are better and more important than setters."

He said it.

He not only said it, but he yelled it.

The whole gym comes to a halt, half terrified and half confused. It seems like no one wanted to move or else the two boys will go at it again with the physical fighting. Or maybe they just want to keep quiet and not get dragged in the middle of the heated argument.

If it isn't for Renjun's pride and stubbornness, he would have stepped down and handled this like a rational adult, leader, and teammate. But his temper is like TNT, once the sparks started to sizzle there was no backing down, no other alternative.

"You know, I'm not even surprised you think that way, that you're the most significant out of the rest of us. The world doesn't revolve around you, Jeno. Volleyball is a team sport, built on cooperation and communication, meaning every position is crucial to winning. Do you think you can only win with just yourself on the court, versing 6 other opponents? How are your defensive skills? Setting skills? Blocking skills? Serving skills? You might think you are above all of us and don't need us, but we are the ones that do not need you or your attitude infecting this team."

Jeno bites down on his jaw, "You're all the same. I don't need this team, I don't need any team."

And with that, he scuffs away.

_[present day]_

With a shake of his head, Renjun returns back to his biology notes, but can only wonder how Jeno got to be like this since he seems to love volleyball but it is a team sport. So why is he acting so unsporting?

-☾-

The windows of the school bus are spotted with raindrops, slowly rolling down the blurred glass as more join. The steady beat of the rain drums along the roof of the bus, but it is drowned out by Renjun's headphones. Rather than the spattering of the rain, calming music from his favorite group, EXO, is gracefully dancing through his ears. He rests his eyelids as his mind freely swims in the honey like vocals of the song.

It is a custom that Renjun is left alone, relaxing to his favorite songs before a game, especially one that is as important as this one. Today is the team's first district game of the season. In total, they have 7 district games along with their regular high school games. District games are what determines if they get to attend nationals or not. The more they win, the higher on the leaderboard they are, meaning the closer they are to winning the championships (and the fewer games they have to play, if they win all district games, they only play one final game to win nationals). So, it is best to win all of the district games, which is not a problem for the SM High team. Throughout the long years of SM High, the boys' volleyball team has left a legacy in marching towards nationals with a win in all of their district games. And this year is not an exception.

Or so Renjun hopes.

It will not be easy with the conflict he holds with Jeno. The regular games held in high schools have reflected that. Games they could have won easily took longer and more effort because of the two's bickering, which of course, resulted in many laps around the track field for Renjun and Jeno. Yet, the two do not learn their lesson.

Renjun hopes that his relaxing playlist of ballad songs, R&B jams, and alternative tracks can unwind his tension and mind from Jeno's nuisance.

The bus makes a turn into the opponent's high school's entrance and soon enough takes a stop next to the gymnasium. The team piles out of the bus, hoods and backpacks blocking them from the rainfall as they bolt through the glass doors of the large building. Renjun makes sure to protect his phone and headphones from the water, placing them inside his backpack before joining the team inside the gym.

Coach Johnny does a headcount and leads everyone onto the court.

The home team is already warming up, doing defensive drills on one side of the net and hitting drills on the other. The team members are decked out in white and orange practice pullovers, all tall and broad as the team is mostly offensive players. They stop for a split second to study Renjun's team just as they are doing the same.

Renjun's team are wearing their own grey and navy warm-up pullovers and sweats, they range in height and shape, unlike their opponent.

Coach Johnny shakes hands with the opposing coach and splits the court in half for his team to prepare before the official 7-minute warm-up starts. Coach starts a basic defensive drill, since the team they are versing knows how to hit.

This team is familiar to Renjun as he studies the way they do their hitting approach. Renjun remembers that the team not only has a magnificent hitting line but also great blockers. He did not verse them last year but the two years before that, when he was mostly a bench warmer. It is the same team they played against when Doyoung sprained his ankle and Renjun had to sub in as a setter.

_[flashback: the game]_

Jaehyun is up to serve, the ball placed in his left hand. At the sound of the whistle, he takes a couple steps before jumping with the ball. His hand connects with the leather ball with a loud echo, it slices through the air and drops to the ground instantly over the net.  _A killer topspin jump serve, there is no way they will receive that._

Contrary to Renjun's thoughts, the libero of the other team is able to bump up the tough serve at the last minute. It travels just back over the net as Johnny tries his best to pop it up from the net. The ball does not progress far, not far enough to reach Renjun for the set at least. Luckily, Lucas right next to Johnny, bumped the volleyball up once again with one hand. Instead of bouncing back towards Johnny so he can hit it to the opponents, it turns the opposite way, heading to Renjun.

The small boy panics immediately. Who can blame him? He is just past 5'7 while the members of the opposite team do not even reach below 6 feet.

Whatever way Renjun decides to send the volleyball over with the last touch, it is going to get knocked down by the wall of blockers.

The boy does not have much time to decide, the ball nearing him within the second.

Renjun's body moves before his brain, which is frozen as if buffering like an out-of-date computer. He just hopes his body knows what it is doing.

As the volleyball reaches just above the net, Renjun takes a couple steps and jumps to meet it in the air. His right arm is pulled back with his left high in front guiding him. Just as he leaves the ground, his brain finally catches up to his body.  _No...you can't._

Renjun's right hand swings forward, connecting with the ball.

Sure, Renjun has played outside hitter during his beginning years of volleyball and sure, he has hit the ball before long after that. But this is not the time to recall memories and such, as this is a game and not just a practice.

But at last, it is too late to change his plans, his body acted and his brain was too slow to restrain it.

The ball flies over the net, a bit uncontrolled.

Renjun's eyes widen as he expected his spike to be denied by the blockers. However, in front of him, the volleyball spins past the hands of the blockers. They seem to be a tick too late, expressions matching Renjun's in shock.

As Renjun lands on his feet, everyone in the gymnasium watches in anticipation. The silence surrounds the court and all of the movements progress in slow motion.

The volleyball travels to the right side, it falls short and just as it gets closer to the ground, the opposite team moves to bump it up. Through Renjun's eyes, the team member moves frame by frame, crouching before sliding onto his stomach, a hand out to meet the ball.

Renjun gulps, eyes not even daring to blink. His chest heaving up and down, joined by a slight ring in his ear.

And with that, the whistle blows. The ball hit the ground. The opposite team member slamming a palm onto the ground in frustration.

But before Renjun can even process what had happened, another whistle is blown signaling the end of the game.

_What? We are still a point behind. How did we win?_

As a matter of fact, he did not win, his team did not win.

Renjun sees the movement of the referee on the podium from the corner of his eyes. Both of the man's hands are held up, signaling the spike was out of bounds.

On the other side of the net, the opposing team cheers and run into a group hug. The buzzer sounds, and it is all too real. Loud roars surround the opened building, from the crowd, from the benches. But all of the opposite side.

His side, Renjun's side, is silent. In shock, perhaps? Maybe in anger, at Renjun?

He is too scared to turn and check.

The only thing he can see is the unreadable gaze from Doyoung on the sidelines.

-☾-

"Move, idiot."

Renjun hears an irritating yet familiar voice in his thoughts. He snaps out of his head, turning his gaze from the opposing team on the other side to his coach in front of him. Without even checking, he already knows it is Jeno behind him, disrupting his thoughts.

Coach Johnny spikes the ball down as Renjun effortlessly bumps it up, flashing a quick smirk towards Jeno once he stands up to move to the back of the line.

The boy watches as Coach hits the ball again, the same as always. Unlike Renjun's bump, however, the volleyball bounces off of Jeno's right arm and bumps it off to the side rather than to the coach, shanking the ball.

Renjun lets out a laugh, ready to taunt the younger on his mistake.

Jeno's head whips to the bleachers, a disappointed and almost frightened look on his face.

Before Renjun can get a word out, Jeno's face is scrunched up in a scowl more intense than his usual glare. He does not know what prompted him to do it, but Renjun holds back his ridicules and turns his attention back towards the warm-up drill.

After a few more minutes, the referee calls the captains of each team to flip the coin to decide who would serve first.

Renjun joins Coach Johnny, shaking the hands of the opposing team in good sportsmanship. The referees explain the rules and guidelines of the game like usual before they toss the coin. Renjun calls out head, as he always does. And as it (almost) always does, it lands on head. He chooses to serve first, and they disband to start the 7 minutes of warmup.

The official warm-up is fast-paced, consisting of hitting drills, defensive drills, and serving drills. Positions like libero and setter, branch off into their own drills that are specific to their purpose. Donghyuck runs through digging and intense defensive drills as the libero with other defensive players while Renjun practices his setting with drills against the wall or to a destination.

These 7 minutes are used efficiently, without a minute to spare because within just a blink of an eye, the minutes are up and the next 7 minutes are given to the opposite team.

Coach huddles in Renjun's team to discuss tactics and strategy of the first round, along with the lineup.

"Renjun is up to serve first, then we have in front, Jaemin, Jisung, Jeno. And Mark and Donghyuck in defense in the back row," Coach Johnny explains, going over his clipboard. The six boys are positioned in a two by three grouping, with two rows and three columns. Jaemin, Jisung, and Jeno are in the front row, up on the net. While Mark, Haechan, and Renjun are in the back row for defense.

Everyone breaks off with a cheer and continue to warm up or stretch with the remaining time they have left.

"Hey Renjun, wanna help me stretch?" Jaemin calls over. Renjun lets the volleyball in his hands that he used to warm up roll into their ball cart before joining the younger.

Jaemin lays on the ground, his leg swung over his body to stretch out his back. Renjun helps him by pushing down on this hip. After a few seconds, they switch legs.

"Who's that man Jeno is talking to?" Jaemin wonders, pulling his arm behind him.

Renjun follows the latter's line of sight to the top of the gym's bleachers, where a built middle-aged man sits. His hands move sternly in the air as his mouth spews out words that are inaudible to Renjun due to the distance. The man's expression tightens into a disgusted look, his eyebrows scrunched together.

Jeno's head drops, staring at the floor of the bleachers. His hands clench beside him, trembling slightly in either anger or frustration, maybe both.

"Don't know, maybe his dad or personal trainer? I always see him at our games," Renjun answers nonchalantly. He has noticed that the strange man has attended every single game in this season, all with the same expression and atmosphere.

Jaemin nods, "That's true...He's always yelling at Jeno, maybe it is his trainer or coach."

Renjun does not answer as he continues to stretch with Jaemin in preparation of the game.

-☾-

Jeno scowls, to himself this time, shockingly. He kicks at the ground before resuming to the game. Renjun holds back his tongue, which was ready to spit out words of attack at Jeno's mistake.  _No time_.

The ball that Jeno had just spiked landed right outside of the line, meaning that the ball is out and the other team earns the point.

This is not his first error in this challenging game, perhaps it is his 10th or so, which means his mistakes have cost the team 10 or so points. Renjun has snapped more than once during each of these slip-ups but it seems like with more anger comes more frustration for the latter. So Renjun decides to ignore him, choosing instead to address this after the game.

Jeno has hit the ball into the blocker's hands, hit the ball out, failed to bump a ball, and more. It is hard for Renjun not to break down and unleash his rage, especially since the score is 8-10 in the opposing team's favor. Along with that, this is the third and last set of the game, SM winning the first while the opponent won the second. And if they lose this set, then they lose the entire district game, wiping them of their first place on the district scoreboard.

Donghyuck dives to the side to bump up a difficult ball sent over by the opposing team. It travels to reach Renjun as he sets a quick set to Jeno on the outside position, who jumps up with all of his might, his right arm swinging forward at lightning speed. It meets with the ball and causes a loud smack. It seems almost perfect, the procedure, but just like the previous tries, the ball is denied by the wall of blockers.

Jeno explodes with a deeply frustrated scream, whipping around towards the referee on the podium. His hand extends to point at one of the three blockers on the opposite side of the net, "Touch! He touched the net!"

The referee gives Jeno a sharp look then switches his line of sight to the second referee on the ground. The other referee shakes his head, signaling Jeno's call invalid.

"What do you mean? He clearly touched the net when he blocked my ball. I call a redo," Jeno continues to argue with the referee.

Coach Johnny steps in and physically pulls Jeno off of the court before the referee disqualifies him, the team, or this game. The coach calls for a substitute for Jeno, selecting Mark to take his place as the outside hitter for the rest of this game.

Renjun should feel glad or even excited that Jeno is not the hitter now and off of the court, replaced by Mark. Mark is an easy companion and teammate, he follows orders correctly and performs at his best. Even though Mark is not as trained as an outside hitter as Jeno is, at least Mark is cooperative with Renjun.

Yet, Renjun does not feel pleased with this change. It feels almost foreign without Jeno in the front row with him, without the bickering.

The game continues as so, easy-going (at least more easy-going than with Jeno on the court). Mark's hits are pretty basic compared to Jeno or any other hitters, but they get by without being denied or landing outside of the lines. Renjun also sets Jisung in the middle position sometimes just to switch up the pace, keep the blockers from predicting his moves. He even dumps some balls without even setting to a hitter. And with all of this tactic, Renjun's team ends the game by 2 points, 17-15.

It is weird, Renjun can finally be able to think in his own head without Jeno's constant backbiting and mockeries, which means Renjun can finally outsmart the opposing team like he usually does.

The team cheers, joining in the middle with a group hug as the final buzzer sounds. The first of their district games ending with a win, setting them at the top of the leaderboard for Nationals. Renjun pulls his teammates close with a bright smile on his face, overjoyed that they pulled through even with some hindrances. However, someone is missing from the celebration.

Jeno is still sitting on the bench adjacent to the court, head down and leaning over with his arms propped up on his knees. He has been like that throughout the remainder of this game, not even picking up his head once to watch it. He only looked up when Coach Johnny confronted him, but then when he was done, Jeno's head was back to staring at the gym floor.

-☾-

Renjun plops down on the bench situated in the middle of the boys' locker room of the opposing school's gym. He reevaluates the game he had just played in his head, mumbling to himself about it. This is what the boy usually does after a game, go over his achievements and mistakes, in order to better himself and the team.

"Setting, quicker sets, maybe some setter dumps from behind. Set to Jisung, remember set higher since he's tall. Set Mark lower. Good serves, maybe try float serve next game," he continues to mumble as he slips out of his tight volleyball sneakers, stuffing them in his gym bag. Renjun slips into his more comfortable slides and zips his backpack. He stands up from his spot on the bench, still rambling about the game under his breath.

Just before he reaches the exit doors, he scans the locker room to see if he is leaving anyone behind. He would want to leave on the bus without a member.

Sitting behind a row of lockers, Renjun spots Jeno squatting on the ground, hands embracing his knees and his head stuffed between his legs. His bent over figure is shaking slightly and Renjun assumes the latter is crying.

"Hey man," Renjun calls, causing Jeno to pick up his head, "We still won."

Everything next went by before Renjun's eye within a flash as Jeno bolts up, storming towards Renjun and slams him into the lockers behind him by the collar of his team hoodie. Jeno's eyebrows draw in, his face red with anger, his teeth gnashing loudly, his veins protruding from his forehead and neck. The look in his eyes flashes with barbaric rashness, his pupils blowing in and out.

"It's all your fault!" Jeno barks into Renjun's face just inches away. "Your fault...your fault."

The younger's voice fades out as he keeps on repeating "your fault" and then switching to "you," like he is all out of energy to even utter two words.

As if the weight of the world is dragging down his body from his shoulders, Jeno's deadly grip on Renjun's hoodie unwinds and he falls to his knees, on the verge of tears and about to break down. He gazes unconsciously at the ground once more and Renjun is frozen in his spot. He has never really seen Jeno in such a weakened state, a vulnerable state. He did not even know the asshole could have other emotions aside from rage and disgust.

Renjun feels lost and confused, but also sad and  _worried_  even. No matter how stubborn Renjun is, he feels bad for Jeno at this moment. Though, should he? Jeno has done nothing in favor of Renjun, only bringing him stress, anger, and irritation in the form of taunts, arguments, and fistfights. Renjun feels like a ball of tangled yarn, his emotions a mess.

However, Renjun understands that, despite Jeno's words that were verbally directed towards Renjun, those words are actually a mental attack on Jeno himself. In other words, Jeno is blaming himself for this mess. And of course, it is mostly his fault. Yet, Renjun is a human being and so is Jeno, which means they all make mistakes but it is not worth beating oneself over it.

"Pull yourself together," Renjun takes a deep sigh, fixing his hoodie that was tussled by Jeno's outburst earlier. He threads a hand through his honey-colored hair before continuing, "Look, I get that you don't like me and I don't like you- but we're holding the team back like this...and we don't stand a chance at nationals if we keep this up."

Jeno rests his chin on top of his knees encircled by his arms. He looks up at Renjun before breaking the eye contact and nodding slightly. Even if the latter does not want to admit it, he knows that what had happened in the game, his anger towards Renjun and their arguing, is an interference to the team's success.

"Meet me after practice tomorrow, we have to learn how to work together. I'm not going to be the one holding my own team back, especially as the captain. So, join me or not," Renjun steps away from Jeno and towards the exit of the locker room, "up to you."

-☾-

Surprisingly, Jeno actually stays behind with Renjun as he proposed in the locker room yesterday. They cannot use the school's gym since there has to be supervision in there, so they head to the outdoor sand court in the school's campus. The walk there is completely silent, Renjun toys with the ball while Jeno stares at anything but Renjun. Once they reach the court, the two boys set down their belongings before starting off by peppering, where they bump, set, and hit the ball to each other, a great way to practice teamwork alone.

After the peppering drill, the two started to do hitting drills. Renjun experiments with the height and speed of his sets to see which is best for Jeno and which Jeno prefers. Naturally, this does not go very smoothly since every set does not meet Jeno's standards as he keeps on missing his hits.

Jeno grumbles and pulls off his long sleeve training shirt that he wore to practice, catching Renjun off guard and all he can do is stare. The shirt lands on top of his backpack by the net. To Renjun's relief, Jeno is wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath. It shows off his muscular arms, as they glisten with a coat of sweat. A blush flies over Renjun's cheeks as he looks away.

Renjun feels small under his baggy t-shirt.

The extra practice time continues and shockingly, it does not end with Renjun and Jeno at each other's necks (there were a couple times where it came close though). About two hours have passed and they are losing daylight as the sun meets the horizon with an explosion of orange and red. Renjun takes a seat on the concrete that separates the sand from the ground, his water bottle in his hand, downing the entirety of the bottle. Jeno takes a seat next to him, leaving a foot of space between them. He twists open his own bottle, pouring the water over his head before shaking it like a dog.

Renjun deflects the drops of water with his arms, "Hey, watch it."

Jeno chuckles, "Oh please, it's just water."

"Yeah, and your gross sweat," Renjun jeers, tossing Jeno his towel, in which he returns with a mumbled 'thanks.'

The two rest on the ground, gathering their breath after the extra hours of practicing. Renjun can already feel his muscles tensing up. He is totally going to feel sore tomorrow because of this.

The sun sets gradually down a path in the sky, surrounded by clouds now painted yellow.

Renjun fiddles with a leaf on the concrete, hunched over his crossed knees, while Jeno leans back on his hands, studying the sky.

"Ya know...," Renjun starts, turning towards Jeno, "today was- wasn't too bad."

It was more difficult than Renjun had expected to compliment the other, or at least provide something that is not an insult or argument.

Jeno, still tilted back, pivots his head to look back at the older. A smile grows across his lips, one that is not full of arrogance but sincerity, or so Renjun hopes. "I guess so, maybe this will really help your team after all."

"My team? You're a part of this team too, it's our team," Renjun flashes a small grin.

The smile Jeno displays is one that Renjun would like to see more often. No matter how much Renjun does not want to admit it and  _definitely_  will never say out loud, Jeno has a great smile and is fairly handsome. Too bad the smile does not last as it fades before the younger breaks the eye contact. He shifts to get up on his feet, the smile dropping into the usual frown he wears.

"It's getting late, I should go."

Renjun wonders if it is something he said that night.

Through the next couple weeks, the two boys meet up again after each practice, running through hitting and setting drills to perfect their performance. This shows especially in their next couple of high school games. Renjun finds it less aggravating with the extra practice they have together. He has learned that Jeno likes his sets shorter and faster in order for the element of surprise to take action. And with these additional hours, Renjun and Jeno start becoming nicer to each other. Though, they only act friendly when they are both alone. During regular practices with Coach Johnny, the two are back at bickering with each other, weirdly so.

Of course, although they have improved their performance, their connection and relationship are still a hindrance to their success. It seems like with an audience, the more prone the both are to argue and fight.

Jeno lands just after the volleyball leaves his touch, knees buckling. He falls back onto his butt with a violent roar, not of pain but anger. Renjun tugs a hand through his hair, biting down on his tongue to prevent him from saying something he will regret. The ball flies far too out from the net, and the whistle from the referee blows. Jeno's head whips to the bleachers, pupils shaking as a man stands up from his seat and leaving through the double doors. It sways closed slowly, the man now out of sight.

"What was that?" It slips from Renjun's mouth, much to his disliking. It is low, under his breath. Yet somehow Jeno hears, it only fuels his frustrations.

"What did you just say?" Jeno snarls, already up to his feet.

Renjun's fists ball up beside him, "That set was perfect, why were you late?"

The latter's face twitches with fury, "How the hell was I supposed to know you were setting a quick? You never tell me anything."

"All I set you are quicks." Renjun's hands rub his face roughly, hoping to loosen up the unending tension. "Stop blaming me for your damn mistakes, you were slow and you know it."

Jeno charges at Renjun and catches him off guard. His hands enclose around Renjun's jersey, pulling him closer with a snarl. His eyes widen in shock. Sure, the Jeno Renjun knew at the beginning of the season would do this out of nowhere, physically attacking Renjun. However, this Jeno, the Jeno that Renjun was starting to become friends with, the Jeno that wanted to train with Renjun after practice, the Jeno that wanted to do better, would not have charged at Renjun like this.

And the Renjun that first met Jeno would have fought right back, fists flying at him without care. But, the Renjun now cannot even close his mouth or blink, a complete deer caught in the headlight.

Because Jeno has not physically charged or beaten Renjun since the first few weeks of the season. After that district game and their locker room incident, they have only verbally fought, through arguments and meaningless threats.

Renjun is in shock,  _what happened? Did all those weeks of bonding not mean anything to Jeno?_

Before Jeno can inflict any damage, the outside world around the two slowly bleeds into their vision. Coach Johnny disconnects Jeno from Renjun's collar as the whistle of the referee blares through their ears. Concerning faces flash through Renjun's eyes and he loses his balance. The world seems to blink in and out, Renjun does not know why.

-☾-

Renjun digs his palms into his face with his elbows perched on the top of his knees. His deep breathing is all that he can hear, paired with the constant ring in his ear. Then, to disrupt his dreadful silence, a loud bang of metal echoes through the room. Renjun internally rolls his eyes.

Jeno slams his fist into the wall of lockers again.

Renjun straightens up, his head banging against the metal. Through his lidded, puffy eyes, he watches Jeno release his anger upon the locker.

"What's your problem man, we were doing better. This was working, what happened?" Renjun addresses, finally finding strength in both his legs and his voice after being sent to the locker room 5 minutes or so earlier by their coach.

"Maybe if you were a better setter, we wouldn't be pulled out of the game," Jeno bites with venom, whipping his attention from the unharmed locker towards Renjun.

"Bullshit," Renjun scoffs, he has used that excuse too many times to know it is not true, "We're teammates and whatever this is...we need to settle it."

Jeno turns back towards the locker, leaning on it with both of his hands, "No, we don't have to do shit. You're holding me back... In my way - you're all in my way. I have to be the best."

Renjun's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Why? Why do you have to be the best all the time? It's okay to make mistak-."

"Because he was the best."

The older pauses afterward, not knowing what to say. He has too many questions in his head, but he is too afraid that, if he interferes, Jeno will just get even more irritated.

However, Jeno continues even without Renjun's questions, "He was number one in high school, then became the best in the college leagues...Renjun, I have to live up to that... You know how pathetic it would be if I didn't end up like him?"

As if the dots have all connected, Renjun's eyes widen, "Your father? Is that the guy who's been to every game? You always look at him with the same look - fear. And...on his face, disappointment."

Jeno's head hangs low, his body jagged while it takes refuge against the cold metal of the lockers. Renjun does not know what to do. Though, he feels the need to comfort Jeno any way he can. He is, at least, Renjun's (somewhat) friend now.

"He was the best player in JYP High 30 years ago, for all 4 years. Captain for 3. Once he left, the team got worse for years. So, when he had me, he thought I would be able to bring the team up. But he realized that it wasn't helping and the team was keeping me back. So, he transferred me to SM high school because it is the best currently. He wants me to be the best, Renjun," Jeno shudders as he speaks, eyes becoming glassy. This is the second time Renjun has seen Jeno beaten up and weak like this. It brings an unfamiliar tugging in his chest.

Renjun moves to place a hand gingerly on Jeno's shoulder, he tenses up under the touch. "But, what do you want?"

"To be the best."

"Then, be the best because you want to, not because he wants you to, Jeno."

-☾-

Coach Johnny was not happy on Monday (actually, he was absolutely _furious_ ), after that Friday game which left Renjun and Jeno in an awkward state after opening up more than ever towards each other in the locker room of their home game. Coach forced them to bond or else he will not play them ever again (which may or may not be too over dramatic but Renjun does not want to risk it). Johnny scolded the two for embarrassing him, the team, and the school in front of their opponents.

After Monday's practice, Renjun and Jeno exchanged phone numbers with Coach Johnny looming over his shoulders, and they both promised to plan a 'hang out' as soon as possible.

"A 'hang out'... it's the dumbest thing. Now, I'm being forced to bond with him outside of school" Renjun complains, his head feeling heavy.

"I mean, it doesn't seem like a bad idea," Mark interjects, who is laying down on Renjun's bed.

"Yeah, it was kinda sorta -  _really_  - embarrassing when you two starting fighting in the  _middle_  of a god damn game...," Donghyuck adds on while mindlessly playing with the tails of Mark's hair. "The ref almost disqualified us."

"It's a good thing Coach Johnny knows everyone, and he talked it over with the ref," Jaemin turns his attention from the video game playing on Renjun's TV, the controller still tight in his hands.

"Oh, by the way, how did the game go? I didn't exactly... get to see," Renjun swivels around in his wheelie chair to face his friends.

Donghyuck claps his hands together unexpectedly, "Oh my gosh, you should have seen us, Jun! We were on fire, especially with Chenle setting. I don't know what telepathic connection he has with Jisung but those two were racking in points one after another."

The desk chair halts as Renjun shifts in his seat, "Chenle got to set? And I missed it?"

"Yeah, he's pretty good at setting. Still new though 'cause his outside sets are pretty basic," Mark includes.

"That's what I've been trying to show him! But he just doesn't listen, he has so much talent as a setter!" Renjun flings his hands up.

Without disconnecting his eyes from the TV screen, Jaemin mumbles through a mouth full of chips, "I mean you aren't wrong, but he didn't seem like he enjoyed it. I don't know..."

"What do you mean?" Renjun questions, head tilted to the side.

Jaemin shrugs, too busy smashing around the buttons of the controller for the video game. Renjun opens his mouth to further dissect what Jaemin means about Chenle but Mark continues forth on a different topic.

"Anyway, maybe bonding not only on volleyball will be good for you and Jeno."

With a flat groan, Renjun decides to drop both topics.

-☾-

Renjun's foot taps against the pavement just outside of the school grounds impatiently, checking his phone every few seconds. His gym bag slung over his shoulder weighs him down the more he waits, and his patience runs thin. His fingers scroll and tap to find the name he regrets adding onto his phone and wasting precious storage on. It rings a few times, drawing out to feed Renjun's annoyance. Finally, the other end picks up.

"What? I said I'm coming."

Renjun rolls his eyes, "Coming, my ass. I've been waiting for 10 minutes, Jeno."

He can hear the younger tsk under his breath over the phone, "Oh, please. It's been like - 5 minutes."

Looking down at his watch, Renjun notices it has only been 5 minutes, maybe even less. But hell, he will never admit he is wrong, especially to Jeno. He brushes off with a 'whatever' and ends the call as Jeno appears through the entrance doors of the school.

Jeno, supposedly, had to talk with one of his teachers over an assignment after practice, which he said would only take a few minutes. Renjun waited outside, leaning against the wall, for what seemed like forever that he just started walking out of school grounds, giving Jeno until he reaches the entrance gates to catch up. Once he reached the gate, he sent one last warning text, which Jeno replied simply with "coming." Few more minutes later, and Renjun regrets agreeing with this.

"Where are we going anyway?" Jeno kicks a rock along the sidewalk as both start to walk away from school.

"I don't know, I thought you would have something in mind," Renjun mentions. "You were the one to text me first anyway."

Jeno huffs, knowing this early evening will not be so easy. "Well, I'm hungry. Do you want to grab food?"

"I could eat."

Renjun and Jeno walk side by side (with a foot of space between them as always) towards the plaza that houses small diners and cafes. They quickly decide on a burger joint after more arguing since both of their stomachs started to growl from the hours of practice that used up all of their energy.

The waiter leads them to a booth, the fast-casual restaurant is actually quite busy with early dinner eaters, who are mostly students. Renjun slides into the booth while Jeno takes the seat in front of him. Without further interaction, they both hide behind the menu to cut through the silence.

Renjun skims over the list of various burgers, deciding on just the classic cheeseburger. He sets down the menu in hopes to hurry Jeno in choosing his dinner so that they can order quickly, eat quickly, and leave each other's company. Once the menus are folded and placed on the side of the table, the awkward silence fills the air once more. Even in the bustling energy of the upbeat diner, the tension is so thick Renjun can slice through it with his steak knife. And the waiter does not seem to be coming to their table any time soon as the tables are all filled with hungry customers.

Renjun takes this time to observe the entire diner, choosing to look at anything but Jeno across from him. The diner seems to be 50's themed, with a slight hue of pink lighting. The walls are lined with red and white tiles, decorated with framed pictures of the movie 'Grease,' newspapers snippets from the 1950s, neon lights of random but aesthetically pleasing signs, and posters of famous musicians of the time. Blasting through the jukeboxes on every corner plays iconic 50s songs from Elvis, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, and more. The employees are decked out in puffy dotted skirts and shiny leather jackets, with their hair styled in pools of gel. Renjun feels bad for them, having for dress up like that for work every day. It must get hot and uncomfortable with the commotion.

"Ah... What's taking the waiter so long?" Jeno grumbles, more under his breath but Renjun is able to hear it.

The older debates on whether to answer or not, but he chooses to since the awkward silence is eating him up with boredom. "Well, it is pretty busy. But yeah, they should be here by now."

Jeno seems slightly surprised Renjun had answered his questions but does not do anything else to act upon it. He fiddles with the corner of his napkin, "So, what are you gonna order?"

Now, it is Renjun's turn to be surprised, surprised at the fact that Jeno wants to start up a conversation. "Just a cheeseburger, and maybe some fries. You?"

"I was gonna order a regular hamburger and a...milkshake," Jeno answers blandly and the silence is back, even more uncomfortable than the last.

Since Jeno had already tried to spark up a conversation (which totally failed after 5 seconds), Renjun might as well try too. "What did you have to talk to your teacher about, if I may ask?"

The latter groans and Renjun is afraid he asked the wrong thing. "Mr. Moon logged in my last exam as a 10% and not a 100% and when I checked my grade book, I was at a C borderline D even, so I went to ask him what that was about because I swore I did well on it. And he told me he was the one that messed it up. Honestly, I don't know what goes on in that man's head. The other day, he walked straight into the double doors of the gym during practice."

Renjun recalls that practice a few days ago. Mr. Moon came into their volleyball practice because Donghyuck left his notebook in class. The small man scurried in and out, his face the brightest shade of red when Coach Johnny greeted him. The poor teacher was only able to muffle up a "hi" before running right into the door. It was quite hilarious to witness, along with every time Mr. Moon interacts with Coach. Then, it struck Renjun. "Wait, you don't know?" both of Renjun's eyebrow arches as he questions Jeno.

"Know what?"

Renjun slaps his forehead, "Oh, of course, you don't know. You're new to the school."

Jeno gives Renjun a questionable look, urging for him to continue.

"Mr. Moon has the fattest crush on Coach Johnny, and we lowkey think Coach is whipped for Mr. Moon too," Renjun laughs just at the thought of the duo, Mr. Moon stumbling over his words while Coach Johnny stares with heart eyes.

The latter's mouth drops open while his eyes widen, "No way..."

"Look closely next time they interact, it's so entertaining."

"I knew there was something weird, but I would've never guessed this."

Jeno shares a laugh with Renjun and he realizes this is the first time they have ever shared a genuine laugh together like this. Jeno's laugh rings in Renjun's ears, it's low and bubbly, almost like a giggle if not for his deep voice. Renjun kind of...likes it.

-☾-

That weekend Jeno and Renjun meet twice, yes  _twice_. Once on Friday, after practice to get dinner again. And once on Sunday, to a cafe just on the outskirts of their neighborhood. Unlike the first 'hang out' the two had, this weekend did not include as much awkward silences. They have learned to talk to each other like normal humans (or rather blossoming friends) instead of throwing insults and fists. Renjun finds it less stressful and more enjoyable hanging out with Jeno, hopefully he reciprocates.

Renjun, as always, shows up about 15 minutes early to volleyball practice on Monday after school, already changed and warming up with his routine stretches. Coach Johnny calls for an update on his 'budding friendship' with Jeno and Renjun assures they are getting along, which surprisingly is true.

After a few minutes, Renjun spots Chenle by the edge of the court, stretching out his muscles. "Chenle!"

The younger turns and gives Renjun a nod before continuing to warm up. Renjun reaches him after jogging to his position.

"Hey, I heard you did great in the last game. Thanks for covering for me," Renjun rubs the nape of his neck.

"No problem," Chenle responds nonchalantly, and Renjun is on the tip of his toes.

"So, what did you do to win? Did my strategies and lessons help you? Is there something you would like to work on? You know games are a great way to gain experience and perfect-," Renjun does not get to finish before Chenle answers.

"No, thanks." Short and precise, like all of his responses to Renjun.

"Are you sure? I mean we can practice some more, maybe I can teach you how to set backwards?" Renjun looks with hopeful eyes, but is met with disinterested ones.

"Really, I'm good."

Chenle lunges, stretching out his hamstrings.

"I see, maybe not this practice, but next time we can work on some setting."

The younger groans, "Renjun, stop. I don't want any extra training."

"But why? You have so much talent and potential to be a setter! If you practice more with me, you can take my place next year when I graduate."

Chenle is standing up straight now, fists balled up to his side. Maybe if Renjun had paid attention to the latter rather than pry and push further, he would realize the fuse he is about to blow on Chenle. Maybe Chenle would not have snapped like he was about to.

"Don't you see, I don't want to be the setter. I don't want to be here. I don't even like volleyball!"

The older is silent, slightly offended but mostly confused and alarmed. Renjun's mouth opens but remains ajar as if not knowing what to say or even how to respond. His pupils shudder in consternation. Maybe if Renjun isn't so stubborn, maybe if he looked at the bigger picture...

"Look," Chenle sighs, his fists loosening, "I get that you want to train me to be setter and all but, I don't even think I'm coming back next year. I'm just here this season because....because Jisung wanted me to and - I have extra time."

There seems to be something Chenle is hiding, or rather avoiding, but Renjun does not know if he should pry further. He had already pushed too many of the younger's buttons.

"Besides, next year I'll be a senior, which means I'll probably be too busy to join anyway."

Renjun decides not to pry, at least for now since Chenle is so on edge.

-☾-

Renjun cannot believe it, even with the boy entering through the door, even with the boy standing in front of him, a smug smile on his face. How has he never noticed? His words have left him.

"I told you," Jeno smirks, kneeling on the seat besides Renjun.

"I'm literally so shocked, I can barely form words," Renjun mutters up, his mouth dries from having it hanging opened for so long. "Are you messing with me?"

Jeno shakes his head with a chuckle, "I've always been in your literature class, Renjun. I usually sit in the back."

It somewhat makes sense. Jeno and Renjun did not really act friendly with one another when they first met, so it is fair that they did not pay much attention to each other. Besides, Renjun always sits in the front so how was he supposed to see Jeno anyway.

"I'm also in your biology and math class," the latter adds in and Renjun rolls his eyes.

"I know that, we are literally desk mates in biology. I bet Mr. Moon put us together because of Coach," Renjun folds his arms across his chest.

"Speaking of biology, when are we gonna meet up to discuss that final project. I mean it's already November."

"We can meet after school today, in the library? Practice is cancelled."

Jeno flashes a thumbs up before standing up and walking away from Renjun.

"Where are you going?"

With a cheeky grin, Jeno turns his head slightly. "Do you really think I can take  _another_  class being your desk mate?"

Renjun scoffs, a smile ghosts over his lips.

-☾-

As promised, Jeno meets Renjun in the school's library, choosing an isolated table in the back of the large room to discuss their biology project. Being shushes by the librarian about 20 times, they decide that the next time they meet, they should do it elsewhere, so they are able to speak freely and in a normal manner rather than in a hushed tone across the table. So as said, the next free day after school, they study at a local cafe just near their high school. It is the right atmosphere for Renjun to creatively and productively work. Jeno thinks that is absurd.

_"What? I like the smell of coffee and baked goods, it fuels my brain," Renjun explains._

_"Are you sure it's not the caffeine in your coffee that's 'fueling your brain?'" Jeno points out, eyeing the large cup of coffee by Renjun's notebook._

_Renjun chucks an eraser at the latter._

These weekly sessions become a regular routine, which replaced their extra hours of volleyball practice alone together, meeting to not only work on their project but study and do homework as well. It is an eerie feeling to admit (to himself only of course) that it is not so strange that they meet up regularly now. And that rather than being forced to meet or 'hang out,' the two do it willingly. This is even true in volleyball.

During the beginning, Coach Johnny had Jeno and Renjun warm up together, peppering the ball, stretching, in order to strengthen the bond. However, it has become so routinely that it would feel weird if Jeno was not in front of Renjun, bumping the ball to each other, or Jeno holding down Renjun's leg to stretch out his muscles. Over time, they become warm-up buddies (or that's what Jaemin calls the two).

"Warm up buddies, really?" Renjun lifts an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you guys are always together. I can't believe he stole you from me. I feel so betrayed," Jaemin says dramatically, the back of his hand over his forehead.

Renjun can only sigh at his best friend. "We're just friends - I mean we kinda have to be, in order to not bring this team down and all."

Jaemin's face twists into a sly expression, like a fox toying with its prey. "Ya know, I actually find it really cute."

"What?" Renjun asks cautiously, eyes squinted at the latter.

"Oh nothing, just you and Jeno, your relationship."

Renjun's eyes widen for a split second, "What relationship? What do you mean, idiot?"

"Just that, you two seem to have walked right out of a kdrama. Or actually...living in one," Jaemin smiles crookedly. "Oh my gosh, and I'm the quirky best friend that everyone loves but ends up dying in the end to save the lead."

The older waits for him to explain, with an unamused expression. "I'm kidding. But seriously...it's just like a kdrama, you both start off hating each other and then...boom! You guys fall in love with each other and get married, have children, make sure I don't die."

Renjun almost chokes on nothing (maybe air actually). That would have been a perfect moment for a spit-take but Renjun is only left coughing from his breathing disturbance. Jaemin simply laughs at his reaction, a hand over his stomach as he leans back with a roar.

"What crack are you smoking?" Renjun slaps his best friend's arm, "I don't like Jeno even if I'm forced to be his friend now, he's still a dumbass."

Still, with the Cheshire Cat-like smile painted on his face, he hums in response and shuffles away with no further words. Yet, the look Jaemin leaves off with lets Renjun know that he does not believe the older. Renjun cannot stop thinking about it throughout the day.

Period 5 come along with the ring of the bell, meaning it is the class right before lunch. Renjun's stomach aches in hunger as all that runs through his head is the delicious ham sandwich he packed just waiting for him in his lunchbox.

Period 5 also means it is biology class with Jeno. Renjun steps into the classroom to already find Jeno in their seat, which is unsual since Renjun is usually the first to arrive.

_"Punctuality is important," Renjun lectures with a pointed finger, after Jeno arrives late to class as per usual._

_Jeno can only roll his eyes._

Renjun sits down next to Jeno, laying his backpack on the black Phenolic Resin desk. He takes out his five-subject notebook along with several different colored pens (they help him memorize the information).

"So why are you here so early?" Renjun questions, aligning his stationary by color and category.

Jeno folds his hands, a smirk on his face, "Punctuality is important, no?"

"If punctuality is so important, why were you late to practice the other day, hmm?" Renjun leans forward to taunt Jeno. The boy flushes as Renjun peers closely into his eyes. His ears burn with red before he coughs and turns away. Renjun tilts his head, finding Jeno to be rather awkward at times, even when trying to be smooth.

Mr. Moon starts the lecture for the day and Jeno turns his attention towards the board, only to reveal his pink tinted ears.

The class ends just before lunch and Renjun packs his stuff, ready for his long-awaited and well-deserved meal.

Even if his mind is flooded with thoughts of food, his body unconsciously stops by the door to wait for Jeno. The latter meets up with him, a confused look on his face.

Without thought, Renjun responds, "Come have lunch with me."

He bites his tongue, cursing his unfiltered mouth for spewing out the first thing that comes to mind. Before Jeno can react, Renjun adds, "You're new so I know you don't have friends to sit with."

Jeno scoffs, his lips forming a smile, "As a matter of fact, I do have friends. But sure, I would love to have lunch with you."

The looks on Renjun's friend's faces as Jeno and Renjun sit down in front of them once they enter the cafeteria is one that is almost comedically produced. They completely freeze, mouth opened stuffed with food.

Renjun rolls his eyes, "Yes, I invited him to sit with us, stop acting weird."

Jaemin gives a side-eye glance towards Donghyuck, who returns one, as if communicating telepathically and Renjun does not like it. They smirk simultaneously, before turning towards Jeno. The sly duo starts asking him questions, random ones out of nowhere. Renjun groans internally,  _maybe this was a bad idea._

However, with Jaemin, Donghyuck, and Mark bursting out in laughter from a joke Jeno had shared, Renjun is assured that perhaps it will not be so bad.

And he is right.

Jeno seems to fit into the conversation like a glove, as though he has been in the friend group for years. His jokes are smooth and conversational, and it really seems like Renjun's friends like him a lot. Jisung and Chenle join shortly, but the friendly atmosphere does not dissolve as it flourishes with Jisung's quick mouth.

Renjun cannot stop smiling, seeing his friends bond at the lunch table.

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and it seems like the time has passed so quickly. Before Renjun can head to his next class, Jeno reaches out for his wrist.

"Hey, uh - thanks," Jeno awkwardly says, his hand still wrapped along Renjun's wrist, "for inviting me to lunch. I really enjoyed it and I like your friends. They're cool."

Renjun grins joyfully, "No problem, if you want, you can join us for lunch every day. I think they like you too."

"Yeah, I'd love that."

Renjun stands there, waiting and Jeno is confused as to why he has not moved yet. Then, it struck him that he is still holding onto Renjun's wrist. Jeno quickly let's go, a chopped laugh leaving his lips. It is weird to see Jeno all jittery like this, a big shift in how smooth he can be in volleyball. But Renjun likes it, he finds it endearing.

"Oh, by the way, you wanna visit the park this weekend?" Jeno asks, his hands fumbling with each other.

It is pretty sudden, coming out from nowhere, though Renjun does not mind. "Yeah, text me when. I gotta head to class now."

Jeno watches Renjun speed walk down the hall, the blush still present on his cheeks.

-☾-

For some reason, Renjun's knees will not stop trembling, even though he is sitting down on his couch just at home. He also cannot stop wiping his hands up and down his thighs, the jean material rough on his palm. As the time ticks away from the large clock perched in the living room directly in front of Renjun, the more anxious the boy is and the more his leg bounces in anticipation.

A knock echoes through his house and Renjun bolts straight up, almost pulling a muscle from the sudden movement.  _That's him..._

Renjun tugs on the sleeves of his denim jacket, checking his appearance one last time in the hallway mirror. His caramel-colored hair is swept back with the slightest use of hair gel, revealing his forehead, which is usually hidden behind his bangs. Donghyuck visited earlier, bringing over his small collection of makeup.

_"Hyuck, my eyes are watering," Renjun complains, trying hard not to blink as the younger lightly drags the brown pencil across his lashline._

_"Beauty is pain, my friend."_

Renjun thinks Donghyuck did a good job making him look presentable, appearance wise at least. The makeup looks as if there is nothing there, natural, with just some brown eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lip gloss. The outfit Donghyuck brought over was...a bit flamboyant, a silky light blue button-up with black ripped jeans, along with a variety of sparkling jewelry. Renjun looked like a completely different person (well to be honest, he looked like Donghyuck) with the whole get up on. It was too much for a simple date to the park, so Renjun thanked his close friend before choosing something from his own closet that fits his style better. He finally decided on a softer look with a pair of light jeans, a dusty pink turtleneck, and a matching denim jacket.

The boy does not know what has gotten into him to encourage him to put effort in his appearance and clothing, it is just another hang out. Possibly, it can be because this is the first time they have hung out together without having it relate to school or dinner. Just a simple walk in the park, literally.

Renjun's hand lands on the handle of his front door, the metal cold to his touch. With one last shaky exhale, he twists and opens the door to reveal his date. Jeno, standing on the other side of the door, stares like a deer caught in the headlights, as if surprised someone opened the door.

A shy smile spreads along Jeno's mouth and Renjun cannot help but blush on the cheeks. Jeno looks even more handsome than usual, dressed up in a pair of ripped jeans held up by a red belt and a black t-shirt tucked in the front. Atop his black hair is a yellow cap.

"Hi," Jeno breathes out, his expression diverts and his eyes sparkle with a hidden glint.

"Hey," Renjun responds in the same way.

Jeno moves aside for Renjun to step out and lock the door before heading to the local park. The walk is fairly short and quiet, consisting of multiple apparent side glances from both parties.

Once the two arrive, they find the park to be quite busy with children playing, runners jogging around the trail, fishermen in their lawn chairs by the large lake.

Renjun leads the way into the park through the two white pillars draped with vines. He turns around after a while at the lack of footsteps behind him to find Jeno hunched over a few meters back, facing the opposite way. Renjun approaches cautiously, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Peaking over the latter's shoulders, Renjun finds a ball of black fur brushing against Jeno's leg and he soon realizes it is a cat.

Renjun watches from a foot away as Jeno runs his large hands over the back of the cat, then sweeping up to pet its chin. His touch is so delicate, matching his expression. He coos, a string of soft praises leaving his lips while he plays around with the cat. It purrs as if basking in Jeno's love and Renjun flushes,  _am I really jealous of a cat right now?_ _Snap out of it..._

Jeno breaks into a smile, his eyes bending into crescents, at the cat's response and Renjun's chest tightens significantly. He cannot get over how adorable the younger looks, squatting over a fluffy black cat in the middle of a park sprinkled with fall leaves. It looks just like a scene from a movie.

"Do you want to pet the cat, too?" Renjun is snapped back into reality as he looks down to find Jeno turned around, revealing the cat who simply gazes up at Renjun with large yellow eyes.

Renjun shakes his head with a choppy laugh, "Oh, no thank you. I'm - kinda - afraid of cats."

It was even more embarrassing to admit than he had expected, especially to Jeno who seems to have such an adoration for cats, with the way his eyes twinkle while petting one. It appears that the blush is now permanent on Renjun's cheeks, much to his disadvantage.

"How can you be afraid of cats? Look at him and tell me there's something to be afraid of," Jeno motions to the cat now laying on the ground, licking its paw.

Renjun rolls his eyes, explaining that his aunt's cat once scratched him as a child, and he has never had a nice experience with cats ever since. "It's like they can sense fear."

"Don't be overdramatic, here." Jeno reaches out a hand towards Renjun and he completely freezes, eyes wide and face red.  _Oh my gosh, is he asking for me to take his hand? But do I take his hand? What if my hands are sweaty?_

Hesitantly, Renjun's hand joins Jeno's. It is soft and warm just as how Renjun imagined holding his hand would feel like. The latter gently pulls him down and Renjun squats down right behind him. With their hands still together, Jeno slowly tugs Renjun's hand towards the cat's back and Renjun begins to squirm slightly. He flinches as his fingers come in contact with the soft fur, his eyes squeezed shut, ready for the worse to happen.

But it doesn't.

Renjun opens one eye at a time when he realizes the cat is not scratching his eyeballs out. His hand lifts without Jeno's as it moves gingerly over the fur on the cat. And in response, the cat rolls on its side for Renjun to continue rubbing it, causing a small smile to stretch upon his face. Renjun turns his head to look at Jeno with a golden grin, successful in petting the cat without any precautions, only to find Jeno already looking at him with shimmering eyes and a faint smile. It feels as if time has stopped and everything around them comes to a pause, blurring away. Renjun gazes into Jeno's eyes, they are so beautiful, dark but tender.

Jeno blinks, cutting away the shimmer, and adverts his attention quickly, a deep blush fanning over his own cheeks and ears. The corner of Renjun's mouth tips up,  _Jeno is too cute._

Renjun continues to pet the cat, ignoring how Jeno is looking at everything but him. "I wonder if it's a stray cat."

"No, it has a collar," Jeno replies, holding the pendant that hid under the cat's long fur. "'My name is Bongsik and I like to take walks alone.'"

"Hmm, I guess she's an outside cat."

"That's good, at least she has a home. I would've stolen her otherwise."

Renjun picks his head up to lecture the latter, but then realizing how close he is to Jeno, how close their face is. Jeno looks up at the silence and their breath mix with how small the proximity is. Renjun gulps, hoping the latter could not hear it, or the unsteady breathing through his nose, or the lightning fast beat of his heart. They all seem so loud in Renjun's ears, mixing together to make a frenzied rhythm. All of this excitement and adrenaline rushes straight to his cheeks, and he can even feel them burn up by the second.

They quickly delink the prolonged eye contact. A weird tension floats in the air and Renjun's throat feels dry.

By now, the cat has lost interest in the two, prancing along to a group of children in the grass to search for more attention. Renjun and Jeno stand up to continue in the park in silence, the unknown tension following their steps. In the silence, Renjun overanalyzes what had just happened, a multitude of thoughts darting around in his head. He does not know what to say.

The large park clears out as the time for dinner pulls around, and the two take this opportunity to visit the playground. It gives them something to do rather than walking around trapped in their minds, overplaying the event earlier. They take a seat on the swing, and Jeno kicks off right away. Renjun stays delicately swaying with the wind.

As Jeno kicks his legs back and forth, the faint dusk wind blows back his smooth black hair and his eyes close to fully bask in the moment. A delighted smile appears alongside a small laugh caught in the wind, but Renjun is able to hear it.

And Renjun can finally admit.

He has feelings for Jeno.

Of course, he will never admit it out loud, especially with Jeno swinging happily as if he has taken flight. He would never do anything to wipe that laughter from his face. So, he just continues to admire him from afar, or at least from the swing next to his. Renjun's short legs start to kick, picking up momentum for his swing to move.

They watch the sun caress the horizon over the lake in front of them. It feels like they can swing right into the sunset, the warmth welcoming them.

And just like that, all of a sudden, the sky is dark and the stars are out. The moon meets the night in no time, illuminating the park with a soft hue.

Renjun tilts his feet down, the tip of his sneakers just scuffing over the ground, to take a break from the swing, getting a tad light headed. He settles down on the grass field just next to the playground to welcome the glistening stars. He hears a shuffle in the grass to find Jeno laying down by his side, shoulder to shoulder (actually shoulder to chest, since Jeno has a much longer body).

"The sky is so pretty tonight," Jeno compliments, a distant smile on his lips.

"The sky is always pretty, every night," Renjun pouts and the latter cannot help but chuckle.

"I can see you're very interested in the sky."

"Who wouldn't be? It's so vast, yet we only know just a small part of it. I mean we are currently staring out into an infinite amount of space right now, space filled with stars, planets, moons...," Renjun trails off, mind lost in space.

Jeno hums, not even looking at the sky anymore as his head is turned to the side to stare at Renjun only. Though, the older is too busy pondering the night sky that he does not notice.

"A large percentage of those stars up there are suns, with their very own planets surrounding it, and moons surrounding the planets. And with all of those suns comes different galaxies. It's all so big... it makes you feel so small, doesn't it?" Renjun subsides in a whisper.

Jeno does not answer.

Renjun tilts his head up after a moment of silence, thinking maybe the latter did not hear him, just to find Jeno looking at Renjun with familiar beaming eyes. He notices that painted over Jeno's slim eyes are stars brighter than the ones in the sky. They twinkle under the moonlight and Renjun has already forgotten about the night sky and the vast unknown of space. He has found the stars, galaxies, planets, in the eyes of Jeno, and he would not want to stare at anything else.

"Renjun," Jeno whispers, "can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

Jeno tugs his bottom lip through his teeth before letting out a sigh.

"Have you ever been in love, Renjun?"

"Love?"

Renjun blinks, hearing the words love and Renjun in the same sentence, especially coming from Jeno's mouth, cause him to flush on the tip of his cheeks. And he is snapped out of his trance.

"Yeah, love... it seems like such an unknown. I wonder what it is like."

"Hmm, I don't think I have ever been in love." Renjun turns back to the stars. "But I feel as though love, like the stars, moons, comets, seem so far from reach. But it's always there. It's the journey that's difficult. The journey to the sun, the moon, the journey to love."

"How do you know if you are in love with someone?" Jeno tempts, his throat becoming scratchy.

"Some souls just understand each other upon meeting."

"And what if they don't? What if their meeting - got off on the wrong foot?"

"Then...they try again."

-☾-

The buzzer blasts through the gymnasium, filled with an uproar of cheers as Renjun and his team crush each other under their arms.

This is it, the end of the regional games. They have won their last district game, taking the first-place position on the leaderboard for Nationals with zero district losses and all seven wins.

The team piles into their bus, still buzzing with victory. Renjun plops down in his seat toward the middle of the small vehicle, Jeno sliding in the seat next to him. It has become accustomed that Jeno and Renjun are together almost every moment now due to being forced to stay together by Coach Johnny. And once they started to actually become friends, they played together willingly since it is so natural. One day, Jeno arrived late to a game and Renjun sat next to Jaemin on the bus and also warmed up with him. If it were last year, it would have been normal since Renjun and Jaemin were 'warm-up buddies' in their past years in volleyball. However, the older was so used to Jeno's ability and movement that it felt bizarre just bumping a ball with Jaemin.

It is a bit scary to see how tied to Jeno Renjun is, how natural it is that the younger is by his side. He hopes it will always be like this, him and Jeno against the world.

Nationals is in a few weeks, leaving them enough time to prepare over break. The last day of school before winter break comes and practice turns into a mini-potluck winter party. Renjun brings in his mother's famous Chinese dishes of chicken, pork, vegetables. Mark brings in Buttertarts, a Canadian pastry he's made at home (but everyone knows he didn't make them and that his parents did). Everyone else brought in homecooked Korean dishes, still steaming hot after a short school day.

They push a few large tables together to place all of the food and drinks on, buffet style. Coach Johnny is in charge of bringing dessert, relying on the old sugar cookies and cupcakes for good measure.

Rather than practice, today is a break before break, which ironically will consist of intense training in order to prep for nationals. So, it is best to take the break now since there will be no resting for volleyball.

The team sits in a circle, with multiple plates of food. Yet, they still share with each other, eating off everyone else's plates. It is nice, to bond like this away from the trainings.

Renjun stabs into a piece of his mother's sweet and sour pork, holding it out for Jeno to taste. He chews a bit before exploding with content, complimenting the dish. "Make sure you tell your mom this is amazing!"

Donghyuck tries to steal a bite off of Mark's plate but the latter smacks his arm away, causing an uproar of laughter from the team. Donghyuck pouts and Mark caves in, feeding him food from his plate. Renjun shakes his head, knowing all too well there is something going on.

The gym doors swing open slowly, and a head that is all too familiar pops in cautiously. Mr. Moon walks in, already a faint blush dusted on his cheeks. "Um, I'm just here to return Donghyuck's notebook. He left it again in class."

Donghyuck takes the notebook from his teacher, a sly smile tugging his lips. He leans over to Renjun with a whisper, "I did it on purpose, watch..."

Donghyuck clears his voice, speaking louder than necessary now, "Mr. Moon, thank you. You should join us for food, right Coach Johnny?"

The team snickers to each other as the two adults flush, looking at each other with wide eyes. Coach Johnny stutters out, "Yeah, w-why don't you join us? The kids and I brought food to celebrate our district wins."

Mr. Moon tugs on the bottom of his blazer, "O-oh, sure. Thank you, and congratulations. I hope you guys bring home a win for the school at nationals."

Coach Johnny and Mr. Moon end up talking for the majority of the time so Renjun's team decides to play a small round of volleyball, which just ends up full of shenanigans.

The ball comes over on Renjun's side and Jaemin leaps to bump it, but it's too far for Renjun to set so Donghyuck runs to help out. He bump sets the ball towards Jeno and he calls for Renjun, squatting with his arms opened. Renjun jumps on, arms up and ready. The younger picks him up, Lion King style, as Renjun swings his arm to hit the ball over the net. The spike is not too bad, and it hits the floor before anyone on the opposite side can get it.

Renjun cheers, flapping his hands with a wide smile, in Jeno's arm as he swings him around before he lowers him. Only then does Renjun realize Jeno's arms encircling his waist, holding him against his chest.

"You know, we make a good team," Jeno speaks in a low tone into Renjun's ear, his cheek pressed against his hair.

Renjun smiles shyly, "We do..."

"Get a room, losers!" Donghyuck shouts and the two jump away from each other, forgetting that they are still in the middle of the game. Before Renjun can pull Donghyuck into a chokehold, the game continues, still goofing off more than anything.

Coach Johnny dismisses the team, as Mr. Moon helps them clean up the gym. And then, everyone is off to their homes for the night.

Renjun waves goodbye to Jeno as he gets into his mother's car, leaving to go to a dentist's appointment, so he could not walk Renjun home like he usually does.

Jaemin casually bumps shoulders with Renjun, "do I finally get to walk my best friend home now?"

"Shut up, where's Hyuck and Mark?" Renjun scans around, no sign of the two.

"Ah they left earlier, saying they 'had somewhere to be.' But I know they're probably going on a date or going to smack faces since they aren't very subtle about it. Mark left with Donghyuck, hand in hand. Those two idiots, at least you and Jeno are discrete."

Renjun stops in his tracks, turning to give Jaemin a slap on the arm. "What the hell do you mean?"

"What? You're trying to play dumb with me too? Come on now, I'm your best friend. You can't get anything past me," Jaemin walks smugly, hands on his hips.

Renjun huffs, following along, arms crossed over his chest. "We're not dating though."

Jaemin chuckles cheekily, "But I told you so."

"What?"

"That you are living in a kdrama, where you both end up falling in love with Jeno despite you being his enemy."

"Don't be overdramatic. I just have a little crush on him," Renjun emphasizes the word small with his fingers.

"A little crush? Yeah right, I can practically see the cloud of love hearts surrounding you two," his best friend scoffs.

Renjun rolls his eyes, choosing not to reply. It is not like he can help but look so in love with Jeno... It's how he feels.

"So, what do I do about it?" Renjun asks, after a moment.

"Ask him out idiot," Jaemin pans, "and don't go on this bullshit saying 'oh, but what if he doesn't like me back' because it is so blatantly obvious he does that it kind of hurts physically for the audience, aka me."

Renjun digs his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "well how to I ask him out, then."

"That's for you to figure out."

"You're no help, Nana."

-☾-

Renjun shuffles back and forth in his room, his hands itching at his neck. He is sure with all the rubbing of his socks on the carpet that he is sure to get electrified at any moment (though he won't get electrified but just shocked). The last day of classes was yesterday, meaning school is out for the winter, meaning the break has started. Renjun panics because he does not know how or when to message Jeno about asking him out. "Is it too weird to call him up on his break? What if he's busy? Or with his family?"

Renjun falls backward on his bed, hearing the little voice of Jaemin in his head to urge him to send a text or else he will chicken out and never ask.

So Renjun listens.

[to  **jenojam** ] hey, you busy today?

Renjun finally lets out a breath after panicking over what to send Jeno, retyping his text over and over again. A couple of seconds passes before he gets a response.

[from  **jenojam** ] nope, you wanna do something?

[to  **jenojam** ] yeah, i've got something to ask you too

Renjun's heart rate picks up when he hits send, the three small dots appearing as Jeno types back.

[from  **jenojam** ] oh wonder what it is? :^)

Renjun digs his face into his duvet, blushing slightly.  _Can he already figure it out? What is the meaning of the smiley face?_

After a moment, the two decide to go to the beach. Of course, it is absurd to go to the beach during the winter, with its freezing temperatures, but it is nice to walk around with the ocean breeze.

Jeno arrives at Renjun's house in just 15 minutes in a pair of black jeans, a turtle neck, a beige coat, and a woolen scarf slung around his neck. Renjun himself is also wrapped up in warm clothing, with a pair of loose jeans, a mustard yellow sweatshirt, and an oversized jacket on top. They walk side by side, huddled closer than usual, perhaps due to the cold weather but Renjun likes to believe in another reason.

The two reach the bus stop near their homes, waiting for the right bus to swing by to take them to the beach. It appears shortly after and they take a seat towards the back. The bus is mostly empty anyway, no one in their right mind would go out to the beach in the winter time.

After a warm 20-minute bus ride, they have arrived at their destination, thanking the bus driver before departing.

The strong wind greets them right away as it almost knocks Renjun off of his feet. Jeno smoothly links their arms, stuffing his hands back into his coat pockets, and Renjun looks up shocked. He curses himself for blushing but hopes the weather will cover it up for him.

Jeno simply returns with a warm smile, "For safety."

They make their way, arm around arm, down the sidewalk of the beach and towards the pier. It is completely deserted, with no fishermen since the waves are too violent for fish, plus it is too cold just to stand patiently in once place for fishing anyway.

Renjun delinks their arms to peer over the wooden railing, watching the waves aggressively crash against the pillars. They foam up with white as they swoosh around, but rich in blue as well. The smell of sea salt immediately fills the air and Renjun rests his eyes.

Jeno sneaks up from behind, hands darting to Renjun's waist to make him jump back, his eyes darting open. The latter takes this chance to snake his arms around Renjun, pulling him close.

"You dumbass, I could have fallen!" Renjun turns in his arms, and Jeno cannot stop smiling.

"I wouldn't have let that happen."

Jeno traps the older between his arms and the railing of the pier, leaving Renjun encased and with nowhere to run off to.

 _This is it this is the moment_ , Renjun thinks to himself.  _This is the perfect chance to ask out Jeno._

Renjun opens his mouth, "Jeno, would you-."

However, he does not get to continue as a large gust of wind swoops through, tangling with Jeno's scarf. It flies from Jeno's neck and twirls uncontrollably in the air. With a gasp, Renjun and Jeno jump around to try and catch the long fabric. Yet, the weather seems to be toying around with the two, teasing them, then snatching the scarf in another direction.

With one last jump, Renjun is able to grab one corner of the scarf, a triumph smile on his face. He looks to find Jeno with the other end and they lock eyes. Renjun's bangs fly over his eyes, he tucks it behind his ear, trying to control it but the wind is persistent. Jeno pulls on his end of the scarf like a rope, wielding Renjun in slowly. The older shuffles his feet to finally return to Jeno's presence.

"You were saying something?"

Renjun's cheeks tint red as Jeno wraps the scarf around his neck, making sure it loops so it won't fly away.

Renjun is breathless, his voice faint in the winter breeze.  _This is it..._

"Jeno, would you like to go on a date with me?"

The younger grins widely, as if expecting it, anticipating it, and finally receiving it. "I thought this is our date?"

"No, of course not, I would have dressed better... and taken us to somewhere safer and warmer like dinner or the movies," Renjun jugs out his lips, thinking maybe somewhere inside was a better location to confess.

"I think you look adorable."

Renjun hides his blush under the large scarf.

"So, is that a yes, asshole?"

"Yes."

Renjun is finally able to admit it to Jeno.

-☾-

The problem is that both Renjun and Jeno have never been on a real date. They do not actually know where proper first dates take place. And it did not occur to Renjun to discuss this in person at the beach a couple days ago, leaving the two to decide over text, which is a lot harder than it seems.

_[to **jenojam** ] i don't fucking know, i've never been on a date >:(_

_[from **jenojam** ] well i don't know either man_

_[from **jenojam** ] the only 'date' i've went on was one in middle school and i doubt it's considered a date since my date ditched me half way through..._

So, the two decide their date based on movies and TV shows rather than real life experience, seeing as they have little to none. They chose to go out for a dinner at a semi-fancy restaurant in town (because that's what people do on dates right?).

Half of the day is already lost to the selection of the proper first date, leaving Renjun with about 3 hours to get ready before Jeno comes to pick him up. Though, that is more than enough time for him to shower, pick an outfit, and style his hair. Renjun calls up Donghyuck somewhere in the late afternoon to ask him advice on makeup, regretting it straight after as the younger pries into his business and proceeds to continuously ask why. And Renjun regretted it even more after admitting he has a date with Jeno because now, he is in a video call with the whole gang, Jaemin, Donghyuck and Mark. They provide little help over the call, with more teases and inappropriate jokes than anything.

With the help of Mark, the only one who is somewhat sane on the call, Renjun chooses a fitting outfit for the dinner. He holds his phone to face the full body mirror, showing off his final outfit to his friends as per their request. It is a simple but handsome look, a black sweater over his white button up, the collar peeking out from the neck opening, along with a pair of black trousers, and finally to keep him warm, a long grey coat.

Donghyuck cheers, wiping fake tears from his eyes, as Jaemin wolf whistles over the phone. Mark applauses like a proud father and all Renjun can do is roll his eyes. He ends the call soon after, thanking them for partially providing help.

As if on cue, the doorbell rings from the front door. Renjun stuffs his phone and wallet in his coat pockets, waving goodbye to his parents in the living room.

Renjun opens the door, a smile already spreading along his face at the sight of his date. Jeno appears in a white button up with a black blazer and black suit pants, his hair slicked in a comma-style. And Renjun is completely speechless because the boy standing in front of him looks just like a Disney prince,  _did he just walk out of a fairy tale?_

The smile grows larger once his eyes drop down to Jeno's hands. In it, a plethora of flowers tied into a lovely bouquet. Jeno hands Renjun the flowers as he invites the younger in while he puts the flowers in a vase.

"Do you like them? I asked the flower shop for the cutest combination for the cutest boy and I'm not sure if he understood me but - I hope you like it," Jeno rambles on, a tinge of pink kissing his cheeks and Renjun finds it unbelievably cute.

"I love it, thank you, Jeno."

The combination in the bouquet consists of white daisies, purple lilacs, and lavender roses, all blending together into a violet daydream. Though Renjun does not know much about the meaning of flowers, he thinks they look beautiful.

Jeno leads Renjun out to his car, opening the passenger like a gentleman before getting into the driver's seat. Renjun is embarrassed to even think about it, but Jeno looks extremely hot driving in the car with his left hand gripping the wheel and his right lying on the armrest in the middle. Just the thought makes his cheeks burn with red.

The drive to the restaurant did not take long, much to Renjun's dismay as he enjoyed staring at Jeno in the driver's seat.

However, like the clueless teenagers they are, they forgot to set reservations for the lavish restaurant. They reach the front doors only to be told the restaurant is full. The wait time is not any better, holding up to an hour.

Renjun and Jeno look defeated, not knowing what to do, and thinking both they have ruined the date for not making reservations. Jeno starts to panic slightly, "I'm so sorry, I messed up this date. What are we going to do?"

"Hey, it's ok. I'm the one that was in charge of this date and I forgot to call in. But the night is still young, we can eat somewhere else," Renjun shares an assuring smile.

Jeno glances up with a pout, "yeah?"

"Yeah, besides fancy restaurants give me anxiety, like what if I accidentally knock something over, I can't pay for that. I'm pretty sure the napkins are more expensive than my laptop."

Jeno chuckles, already feeling better, and it sounds like music to Renjun's ears.

The two decide to go to McDonald's. Yes, a bit different from their original plan, but it was the easiest choice since it is not busy and also opened late all night. They show up to the fast food chain in their fancy clothes, both a bit embarrassed from the weird side glances received from other costumers and the employees. They end up ordering a bunch of food, from burgers to fries to milkshakes and such.

Night has already come as they take the food to the local park they visited before. It was just too awkward to stay in McDonald's in their attire. At least the park is empty at night, giving them space and alone time.

Jeno spreads a blanket he found in the car on the grass, and they dig in to their McDonald's dinner.

"No matter how bad this is for me, it is still tasty as hell." Renjun stuffs a handful of fries in his mouth.

Jeno agrees with a nod and a hum, his mouth occupied with the large bite of his hamburger.

After they have stuffed their faces with fast food, Renjun and Jeno relax under the stars once again, a wave of deja vu floods over him. Renjun remembers the first time they visited here, when he would do so much to deny his feelings for Jeno only to then admit it to himself while looking into Jeno's star-filled eyes perhaps in this exact location. He can only laugh at how they got here, maybe Jaemin is right, he is living a kdrama life.

"What are you laughing about?"

Renjun tilts his head down, looking at his date who is laying on his thighs, an eyebrow arched.

"Nothing, it's just funny how we literally hated each other in the beginning of this school year and now, we're dating."

Jeno snickers at the thought, "It feels like forever ago."

"Did you - really hate me?" Renjun tugs on his bottom lip,  _maybe I shouldn't have asked so suddenly._

"To be honest, a little bit but I mostly just hated the state I was in - and my father, I guess...it's just complicated," Jeno murmurs, tugging at the grass.

"What do you mean?"

The latter sighs, "Remember when we bumped into each other in that ice cream place, in the summer? That day, my father took me out of JYP high. I had to leave my team, who I have been with for three years. I wanted to tell them the reason myself, but my father had already talked to the coach and the team. He told them I was too good for them, that they held me back from being the best. When I found out, I was devastated. I couldn't imagine how they had felt. My friend took me to the ice cream place to cheer me up, but it didn't work...as you'd seen."

"Wow, that sucks... Were you able to tell them the truth? That you didn't feel that way," Renjun hopes, his eyebrows knitted.

"Yeah, but they didn't listen. They thought I was making excuses. And I don't think they ever forgave me."

"It's okay, I'm sure they have moved on. Maybe you can tell them at nationals, I hear we are competing against them."

Jeno hums, "yeah, I hope they won't still be mad."

Renjun runs a delicate hand through Jeno's hair, letting his fingers graze the side of his face. Jeno closes his eyes, enjoying the light touch of Renjun's dainty hands.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Jeno breathes, it's almost inaudible.

Renjun hums, the tips of his fingers tracing simple patterns on the side of Jeno's neck.

"Why are you so persistent in training Chenle to be a setter?"

"Well, that boy, he blows my mind. He is so talented and has so much potential as a setter. He just needs someone to show him that it is the right position for him, that it is his calling," Renjun answers, then pauses, looking at the sky with a distant look. "I once had a trainer, or mentor, I guess. I had so much respect for him, and I still do. He shaped me into the setter I am today, and I am grateful because I enjoy it so much. And I want Chenle to feel that way too, to enjoy playing volleyball, to enjoy being the setter because I know he has it in him."

"What was his name? Your mentor."

"Kim Doyoung."

_[flashback: the game]_

The SM team, defeated but not holding their heads down, makes their way to the locker room while discussing the game. Renjun does not know how they do it, how they do not let the loss affect them. But he guesses they do not feel the burden Renjun feels, since it was his fault they lost the game in the first place.

Renjun walks as if weights are tied to his body, dragging him down with every step. Before he can enter the locker room, a firm hand stops him. And he turns pale, cold to the skin's touch.

Because he knew exactly who it was as he calls him, "Renjun."

With a large gulp, Renjun pivots in his step, turning to face Doyoung. The older towers over him, shoulders broad, arms crossed, face unreadable as always.

"Hyung, I'm so sorry. I really didn't know what I was doing. I was stupid, I wasn't think-," Renjun's mouth moves as fast as his heart beats, it is like the two are racing to see who is faster. But he is cut off by Doyoung.

"Stop," Doyoung holds up a hand, large enough to shadow Renjun's face. His breathing goes unsteady,  _I really fucked up._

"Yes, you were stupid, and I can tell you weren't thinking," Doyoung speaks, his voice stern and robotic, "but I believe you can be more than you think you can be."

Renjun freezes, slightly taken aback since he did not expect the conversation to take this turn. He thought he would be dead on the floor, or maybe beaten into grains of rice. But not this.

"What?" Renjun utters, dumbfounded.

Doyoung shifts, an eyebrow raising, "You got some balls, kid. I like daring but dumb daring is, as is, dumb. So, I'd rather you be daring and know what you are doing. And since this is my last year as a setter, the team will really need a strong replacement."

"Me?" Renjun points at himself, still confused.

"No."

Renjun sighs inaudibly,  _of course not me, I suck._

"At least not this you," Doyoung continues.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll train you to make smart and quick decisions. So, consider it, a better you."

Renjun is still a bit dazed, trying to interpret the conversation, but he nods anyway.

"Great, training starts tomorrow after practice."

Doyoung turns to walk through the boy's locker room door, leaving Renjun speechless but bubbling with excitement.

"Finally."

-☾-

_[present day]_

"I see, so he practiced with you just like we did together after practice," Jeno points out. He is now sitting up, more engaged as Renjun explains his whole story regarding Doyoung and his earlier years of volleyball in SM High.

Renjun chuckles, "Yeah, but it was a lot more intense. All you and I did was bump and hit some balls."

"Hey but it worked," the latter leans in with a cheeky smile.

"I'm glad."

"Me too," Jeno licks his lip. "So, I answered your question earlier. Now answer mine, did you really hate me?"

"I mean, you got on my nerves a lot and was a complete asshole, so kind of. But looking back, maybe it was more annoyance than hatred."

"Maybe...we got off on the wrong foot."

"I think so, should we - try again?"

By now, Jeno is just inches away from Renjun's face, so close that they have subsided to barely above a whisper. And if they were not channeling every cell into each other, they would not have picked up on anything. Jeno's eyes flicker from Renjun's eyes to his lips, plump and glossy under the moonlight.

Renjun's tongue slips out, grazing long his bottom lip. An invitation maybe, a conformation? Whatever it was, Jeno took it as an invitation and closes the small gap. Their lips connect with a spark, warm from the biting cold of the winter night. Jeno's hand rests on the side of Renjun's face, his thumb padding over Renjun's cheekbones. The older fists at Jeno's blazer, tugging the latter closer to deepen the kiss, and he feels him smile slightly. They break off with a laugh, eyes staring into each other's deeply.

"Was that a good second first impression?" Jeno teases with a suggestive eyebrow.

"Lemme check again."

And their lips are molded together once more.

-☾-

The bell of the familiar sweet shop jingles with the opening of the door. Renjun pulls Jeno inside the ice cream shop and it feels all so familiar, the memories already flooding over. The owner, Yuta as his name tag reads, greets them casually, before doing a double take.

"Hey...aren't you two the kids who fought in my shop? I told you guys not to come back," he warns, eyebrows furrowed.

"I know, but we thought it may be nice for us to apologize, even though it is long awaited," Renjun says, offering a shy smile.

"Yeah, we're sorry for causing the commotion," Jeno follows up.

The owner gives them a look, perhaps to see if they are serious. He finds Renjun and Jeno's hands laced with each other's and a smirk spreads along his face. "I see things have...worked out between you two. That's good..."

The both flush at the innuendo, "So are we allowed back here or are we still banned?"

Yuta leans over the counter, a hand on his hip while the other waves a finger at the two boys, "If you kids cause any more trouble, you will be banned forever. But for now, you are off the hook."

"Thank you!"

Renjun and Jeno proceed to order their ice cream, sitting at a table overlooking the city through a window.

-☾-

Nationals seemed so far away, yet time flies fast when Renjun is with Jeno. It sneaks up on him, and somehow, he forgets Nationals is actually today. The long bus ride consisted of Renjun napping on Jeno's shoulder as he rests as well. They end up snuggling closer as shown from the evidence on Donghyuck and Jaemin's phones, in which they used to blackmail and tease the two. When the team arrives, the stadium is huge and intimidating. Cameras are set up along the court, with multiple crewmembers running test shots before the big live inning of the championship game. Lined all around the large gymnasium are thousands of chairs, already starting to fill up with guests. Renjun just hopes his family get a good seat.

SM High's opponents, JYP High joins the court shortly after and both teams start to warmup. Renjun snakes an arm around Jeno's waist as he sees his boyfriend frown a bit. He plants a comforting kiss on the latter's cheek before they join their own team.

The game starts and Renjun is shaking in the knees, which is weird because he has played in nationals before, twice actually (so this would make it his third time). The two teams play neck and neck, the score inching up one by one. Unfortunately, JYP high wins the first round by a small difference of two points. They switch sides and Renjun tries to not let the loss affect him, reminded of Doyoung's wise words. There are still two more rounds, so there is still a chance.

Renjun pulls his team into a huddle before the second round starts, giving them a motivational speech, which in hopes lifts them up. The energy has completely shifted and Renjun's team plays with vigor and confidence, earning them a win by a landslide in the second game, 25-18.

Playing with Jeno now, compared to when they first met, is an utter changeover. They are an unstoppable duo as Renjun knows Jeno inside out just as he does Renjun. They know each other's limits, having a special connection in which makes it so much easier to communicate with. What was lacking before is now one of the strongest factors in their relationship, and that is trust.

The third and final round of the championship is one that both teams have poured their heart and soul into. It stretches out for what seems like hours, point after point, they are once again neck and neck.

It is Renjun's turn up to serve.

The score is tight, and he has a major decision whether to risk it for the kill or stay safe just in case. With the inflowing adrenaline rushing through his veins, he chooses the former.

Just like how he has practiced multiple times throughout this season, with the ball in his left hand, Renjun starts off stepping into his approach, just a couple large steps. Then as he leaps into the air, his left hand follows and the volleyball lifts from it. His right arm swings forward with force, meeting the leather ball with a loud smack at the perfect angle. He knows it is perfect, he felt it as the ball leaves his touch. It pierces through the air, no spin, no traction. It jerks over the net, unpredictable as it is unsteady.  _A perfect float serve._

It floats as if soaring through the sky, then suddenly, drops while it loses momentum, just at the end line.

And, like a miracle, the final ball hits the ground with an echo.

A silence looms over the large stadium, cameras getting every angle, before the referee blows his whistle and the buzzer follows. The crowd roars with cheer and Renjun falls to his knees, tears clouding his eyes.

They won. They have won nationals.

Jeno pulls Renjun up by his waist, hugging his boyfriend tightly in his arms, as he swings around. "We do make a great team."

The rest of their teammates shortly joins in a group hug, jumping around in circles, all with tears in their eyes. The large trophy is presented to them and it is almost larger than Renjun himself. As they try their hardest to wipe off their tears, the team lines up to pose for photos and for the cameras that are live on the sports channel. Renjun kneels in the front and center, the trophy next to him as Jeno takes the other side.

And he could not feel happier.

-☾-

They really tried to focus on study, truly.

But there are so many distractions, and by distractions, Renjun means Jeno's lips.

Their notebooks, textbooks, pens, highlighters, notecards scattered all on Renjun's bed are already forgotten as Jeno pulls Renjun on his lap, his hands firm on Renjun's waist, rubbing circles on his hipbone just under his shirt. Renjun connects their lips as his hands frame Jeno's face, and he cannot get over how buttery his boyfriend's lips are. Jeno laps his tongue over Renjun's bottom lip and the older obliges without further instruction, opening his mouth to let Jeno's tongue explore his mouth for the umpteenth time. Renjun's hands slip from the latter's face to his neck, pulling him flushed onto Jeno's chest. His hand tugs lightly at the back of Jeno's hair, erupting a groan from his throat.

Renjun pulls away, loss of breath, but Jeno is not done with him, choosing to layer kisses upon kisses on Renjun's neck and exposed shoulder from his loose-fitting shirt. Jeno bites down on a patch of skin in the crevasse of the older's neck and shoulder, causing him to whimper softly. He then runs his tongue over the bite to soothe out the sting, leaving a faint kiss on top of the newly formed bruise. Renjun tilts Jeno's head up by his chin, a lazy smile tugging the corners of his mouth. He places a short but sweet kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"You know that I love you right?" Jeno whispers, his eyes twinkling with every sweet word that leaves his mouth.

"I do. And I love you, Lee Jeno."

-☾-

_[5 years later]_

"Hey babe, come look at this," Jeno calls, a piece of paper in his hands. Renjun laps over the kitchen counter of their apartment, before reaching his boyfriend. His arms lace around Jeno's waist as he rests his chin on his shoulder, peering over to look at the paper.

It looks like to be an invitation, in big bold letters lined on the top, it reads "SM High School's 45th anniversary!" and just under, information about the time, date, and location of the event.

Renjun hums, "That's cool, we should go."

"It's just tomorrow, I don't know how we didn't see this in our mail until now."

The older shrugs returning to the stove to continue preparing dinner for the night.

The next day comes and they arrive at the event, nostalgia hitting them right away as soon as they enter school grounds. Through the gates where Renjun and Jeno would meet each other to attend their forced 'hang outs.' Passed the double doors of the gymnasium where their team used to practice. Following down the path to the outside sand court where Renjun and Jeno practiced even more in order to create their bond. And finally, through the doors of the school building, into the hallways of their classes. It almost seems unrecognizable, all except Mr. Moon's classroom, just passed the water fountains on the right.

Jeno gives Renjun's hand a light squeeze, enjoying the walk down memory lane of their high school.

They reach the cafeteria where the main event is being held. And right away they spot the old volleyball team, already standing together as they roar with laughter.

"Hey! Renjun and Jeno are finally here, took you two long enough," Jaemin calls out, pulling the both of them into a tight hug. Renjun gladly receives it, not realizing how much he has missed his best friend after a few years of not seeing him.

"Have you gotten shorter Jun?" Jaemin teases, throwing an arm over the older's shoulder to tug him around.  _Still the same old kid..._

But it seems as though Jaemin has grown almost a head taller through the years, almost reaching Jeno's height. Yet, Renjun was not lucky enough to experience that growth spurt, still staying about the same height as he was in high school.

The old team decides to retake their team picture with the nationals' trophy, lining up exactly the same as the photo. Renjun makes sure he gets the picture sent to him, he wants to have it printed and framed. His high school volleyball years is truly such an important experience in his life. It is what got him into the college team he is currently playing in, a team that is infamous and indomitable from a college known worldwide for its superior volleyball records. And Renjun is their official setter. Of course, Jeno is also in the same team, being Renjun's right hand man as the outside hitter along with the team captain. They have progressed in their volleyball path together and Renjun would not want it any other way.

As everyone shares their life in the past few years, Renjun realizes that he has missed out on so much. First off, Mark and Donghyuck are newly engaged, when Mark proposed on the Han River just a couple weeks ago. Donghyuck could not stop showing off their rings, his shiny and elegant as Mark's is just plain and bulky, although there is an engraving on the inside of their first date (which actually ended up being sometime in their junior year, meaning they had been dating behind everyone's back). Renjun makes sure they invite them to their wedding whenever that is.

And on the note of weddings, not surprisingly, Coach Johnny and Mr. Moon (who just goes by Taeil now) have been engaged for almost two years. They have already planned everything for their wedding, which is just next month. Undoubtedly, the whole volleyball team is invited. Even after years of dating, being engaged, and living together, Taeil is the same shy man, who still tints at the cheek with every word Johnny speaks.

Moreover, Jaemin is in school studying to be on the police force, while simultaneously owning a local coffee shop in the city. Renjun finds it hilarious that Jaemin, the most mischievous and wild man he knows, wants to enforce the law. But he also knows Jaemin will be a fantastic policeman. When Jaemin tells him that his goal in the future is to be a secret agent is where Renjun spit takes his drink, almost choking from his outburst of laughter. Behind the chokes and teases Renjun sends his way, Jaemin knows Renjun believes in him anyway.

Jisung, to Renjun's surprise, became the coach for SM High's boys' volleyball team after Johnny retired from the job after getting engaged a couple years ago. Jisung says it is more fun than he expected and pays well for college. Even though he still views Jisung as a baby, Renjun can tell he makes a great leader.

As Renjun steps away to grab a drink from the tables of food, someone stops him and he turns to find Chenle.

"Oh, Chenle," Renjun pulls the younger into a hug, "It's been so long, how are you?"

"I'm well, I was actually looking for you," Chenle says, a nervous trill in his voice. Renjun is glad to notice that he is not the only one that did not grow too much after high school. Chenle is still taller than Renjun but there does not seem to be a difference from the years back.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Chenle's hand darts for the back of his head, rubbing it, "I wanted to - thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Renjun questions with a tilt of his head.

"For - everything in high school, ah - I'm not great with words but..."

"It's okay, take your time."

"You said you saw the potential in me, the potential to be a great setter. And you wanted to help me see it too. I guess I should apologize first for being an asshole about it first. But, when senior year started for me, I felt like I was missing something and realized that I missed playing volleyball. I took in your words and decided to join. That's when became the setter. I truly loved it. So, thank you, for believing in me," Chenle chokes back a cry, and Renjun pulls him into a hug once again.

"Chenle, you don't need to thank me. I'm just glad I could help, but I want to know, what was the reason that prevented you from joining or even enjoying volleyball when I was there?"

Chenle chuckles, "I was afraid you might ask that, and it is kind of embarrassing. But the real reason I didn't want to join volleyball in my senior year was because I-I didn't think I would be good enough to fit your shoes since you literally won MVP that year. I knew if I joined, I would have to be setter since no one else is qualified. I guess I was just scared..."

"That's nonsense, you're amazing and that's why I wanted to help you. I mean look, you won nationals that year as a setter."

Chenle melts into a warm smile and Renjun is glad he had this talk with the younger. It feels like a burden being lifted off now that he has settled things with Chenle. It kind of reminds Renjun of the time he thanked Doyoung at his high school graduation, remembering how awkward yet emotional he was to his mentor.

The event ends with more hugs and promises to meet up again, along with the reminder of Johnny and Taeil's wedding and Mark and Donghyuck's future wedding.

Renjun flops onto his bed after the long day, but with a smile. Jeno pulls the smaller into his embrace, placing a kiss on top of his head. His eyes become droopy with sleep, his hands lacing with Jeno's. The silent night greets them with sleep. Only one thing is whispered through the still air.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Two things. Two things whispered.  

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! this took me all of winter break to write :') and i hope it isn't too messy or confusing tbh. anyway, you can find me on tumblr (@huangels) where i write more (shorter) fics, ty + ily
> 
> \- ren


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